Hinshi
by Ms. Zeal
Summary: COMPLETE! Non Yaoi. Post Trial and Error. Kurama has been poisoned, and it's up to Hiei to find the antidote in time to save the kitsune.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 1**

Kurama sat at his desk after lunch, feeling miserable. There was a dull throb behind his eyes that was only growing worse as the day wore on and he was starting to feel a little shaky. His stomach was unsettled and he felt cold, despite the fact that he was starting to sweat. He asked to be excused from class and headed to the bathroom.

A wave of dizziness over came him as he reached the restroom and he had to lean against the door for support until it passed. _What's wrong with me?_ he wondered, irritably pushing the bathroom door open. He walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. He reached for some paper towels, drying his face off before he caught his reflection in the mirror. He froze. Wide, golden eyes stared back at him from within a too pale face. He ran his tongue over his teeth, feeling sharp fangs, and noticed his fingernails had turned into claws. Looking closely, he saw several small streaks of silver in his red hair.

Scanning the bathroom more closely, Kurama was relieved to find that he was alone. Turning back to the mirror, Kurama concentrated, forcing his body to become completely human again. He succeeded in hiding his demonic features, but it took quite a bit of energy to keep them concealed. He leaned wearily against the sink, breathing heavily, as he wondered what he should do. _Returning to class is too risky-- I'm not sure how long I can maintain in this form. I can't go home-- how would I explain this to mother? This is obviously not a natural disease. I need to speak with Genkai,_ he decided, pushing himself away from the sink.

Instead of returning to class, he went to the nurses' office, easily convincing her to let him go home sick. Leaving the school, Kurama got in his car, grew and ate a few leaves that would help strengthen his body and drove to the shrine.

Parking his car at the bottom of the hill, he got out and eyed the seemingly endless stairway in dismay. _For once, I'll have to agree with Yuusuke. Couldn't she have installed an escalator, instead?_ he thought, longingly, as he began the long climb to the top. His energy was fading fast and he had to rest often. His headache was now threatening to split his head in two and his stumbling steps were not helping his stomach any. Twice he had to stop and retch on the side of the stairs before continuing on. Not wanting to chance some ningen leaving the shrine seeing his demonic body, Kurama spared all the energy he could to maintain his human form. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the last step, leaning to rest against the statue at the top of the stairs, gasping for breath. Looking up, he saw Genkai standing in the courtyard.

"You look like you've seen better days and your energy is so weak that I could barely sense you coming. Would you care to explain what you're doing here in the middle of the day, and why you're in such bad condition?" she asked.

Kurama smiled slightly at her bluntness, but the smile faded just as quickly. The trip up had taken its toll on him and his energy was completely depleted. He had no reserves left and he felt that he could relax now that he had reached his goal. His eyes closed as his body went limp, falling forward as he passed out. Genkai caught the unconscious teen before he hit the ground, noting with alarm that there were now silver fox ears sprouting out from beneath his red hair. His bangs clung to his face, slick with sweat and he was warm to the touch.

_This isn't good,_ Genkai thought, shifting her grip on him and pulling his arm over her shoulder. With strength that belied her small size, she half dragged, half carried the comatose boy into the temple.

Yukina turned around as the shoji slid open, gasping in surprise when she saw the unconscious redhead. Genkai spoke before she could ask what happened. "Yukina, go lay out a futon in one of the spare rooms," the psychic said, carrying the kitsune down the hall. Yukina did as she was asked, opening the door for Genkai and laying out the bed. The old woman gently laid the redhead on it, studying him critically. Kurama moaned softly, tossing his head to the side, his expression pained and his breathing shallow.

Genkai laid her hand on Kurama's chest, closing her eyes in concentration. She felt for his energy, locking onto its unique wavelength and manipulated her own energy to match his. She powered up slightly, allowing some of her energy to flow into him. Being careful to not give him too much lest she send his body into shock, she removed her hand, opening her eyes as she did so. Kurama was still unconscious, but his breathing was stronger than before. Genkai sighed, feeling a little tired. "All right, Yukina. See if you can heal whatever ails him," she instructed, stepping back.

The ice koorime took Genkai's place, standing next to Kurama, and laid her hands on his shirt. She took a deep, calming breath, relaxing her body and focusing her mind. A soft blue light covered him as she tried to heal the sickness that plagued the kitsune. Kurama's entire body tensed, thrashing around on the futon as an agonized scream was torn from his throat. Startled, Yukina jumped back, her concentration broken, snatching her hands away from his chest. The fox fell back limply as the healing light faded, his gasping breaths the only sound breaking the silence.

"That was certainly unusual," Genkai remarked.

Yukina stared at Kurama, not sure why her healing powers had caused him pain. Her eyes landed on Kurama's hands, noticing his claws had drawn blood from his palms. Picking up a cloth, she carefully wiped the blood off of the wounds. Without thinking, she laid her fingertips on the puncture marks to heal them, but almost immediately pulled her hands away, gasping in pain. Kurama's blood burned where it touched her skin and she quickly wiped it on her kimono, revealing blisters on her fingertips.

Genkai took her hand, studying it intently. Curious, she reached down, touching one gnarled finger to the red liquid on Kurama's hands. Nothing happened.

"Interesting," she remarked, staring at the blood on her finger. "It would appear that this is not an ordinary illness. It is my guess that Kurama was poisoned with something that is harmless to humans, but fatal to demons. That is why his blood, and probably any of his bodily fluids, burn you." She held her hand over Yukina's, healing the blisters. "I'd guess the only reason he's alive right now is because his body is not fully demon. The poison is attacking his demon side, causing the him to change forms."

"But, why hasn't he fully transformed to a demon, then?" Yukina asked.

"He's fighting against the poison by trying to remain human, as his ningen form has a stronger immunity to the toxin. If he fully transforms to Youko, we probably only have a few minutes, if that, to heal him before he dies." Genkai paused, considering something, before gesturing to Kurama's arm. "Go ahead and try to heal his hand, but be sure to not touch his blood," she instructed.

Yukina held her hand out, careful not to touch Kurama's, and tried to heal the wounds. A soft blue light enveloped the hand as the wounds closed. Kurama didn't stir.

Genkai nodded. "You can still heal his body, that's good. Poison needs to be neutralized before it can be healed. When you tried to heal it earlier, I would guess that it reacted to your demonic power and attacked Kurama's body in response." She sighed. "It looks as though we're going to have to take care of him the old fashioned way. Bring some cloths and a bucket of cold water," Genkai said, starting to remove his shirt.

Yukina nodded, healing Kurama's other hand before leaving the room. She returned, carrying the requested items. Kneeling beside Genkai, she dipped the cloths in the water before wringing them out and handing them to the psychic. The old woman laid one compress across Kurama's forehead, one on his neck, two on his chest and one on each arm. He shivered as the cold cloth touched his skin, but did not wake. Yukina noticed that there were now streaks of silver in his hair and a silver tail poking out from beneath his leg.

. . .

The day wore on, and Kurama's condition did not improve. Although he regained consciousness in the afternoon, his temperature would not go down, despite Genkai's and Yukina's best efforts. The fever made him restless; a feeling that the plants surrounding the temple mirrored, Genkai noted uneasily. _It is not going to be pretty if he takes a turn for the worst,_ she thought, watching the plants moving agitatedly in the non-existent breeze.

Although Kurama did his best to hide it, the fact that he was in pain was obvious. He looked up as Yukina entered the room, offering her a slight, somewhat strained smile. _It's strange seeing Kurama with silver hair and green eyes. Of course, silver hair and human ears is an odd combination for him, too,_ she thought, setting down the tray she had brought in. "Are you hungry, Kurama-san?" she asked, politely.

"No, thank you, Yukina-san," he replied, shaking his head slightly. He had caught the scent of soup before Yukina had reached the room and it made his stomach churn.

Yukina looked at him, large red eyes worried. "You need to eat. Just a little bit?" she asked, imploringly. "I made it just for you."

"Thank you, Yukina-san, but not now. I... I don't think I can keep anything down just now and I'd rather not try," he said, closing his eyes, tiredly. He tried not to grimace as a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.

"If you won't eat anything, will you have something to drink?"

Kurama gave her a pained expression. "Yukina--" he began.

"Listen to me," the ice maiden interrupted. She picked up a cloth, wringing it out in the bucket and began wiping sweat off the redhead's face. "You're losing a lot of water, Kurama-san. You can go without food for a little while, but you need to drink fluids to replace those that you have lost."

Seeing the pleading expression on her face and feeling his parched throat, Kurama relented. "Very well. Just a glass of water, though. I highly doubt tea would agree with my stomach right now."

Smiling, Yukina picked up a cup from the tray, scooting closer to Kurama. He raised his arm to take the cup from her, but she stopped him, holding the cup to his lips. Although it was a little embarrassing, Kurama allowed her to help him drink, feeling too tired and weak to argue with her about it. He took a few tentative sips before deciding his stomach wasn't going to rebel and proceeded to drain the cup. She offered him some more, but he shook his head. "Thank you," he said, softly.

Yukina nodded, taking the tray and leaving the room.

. . .

Genkai sat on the porch, sipping her tea as the sun sank below the horizon. The plants had overgrown the stones in the courtyard, making the entrance to the temple look like a jungle. _He's getting worse. It won't be too much longer, now,_ she thought, raising her cup to her lips once more.

Inside Kurama's room, Yukina knelt next to the futon, dipping the warm cloths in the cold water before replacing them on Kurama's body. She had lowered the temperature of the room considerably, but nothing seemed to be working. Kurama shivered, but said nothing, averting his amber gaze to the window. He knew it would not be long before his body gave out on him.

Yukina was lighting a small lantern when Kurama began to cough. It was just a small cough at first, almost able to be mistaken as someone clearing his or her throat. However, his coughing became worse very quickly, sounding as though he was choking. He rolled onto his side, pain clearly visible on his face as pink froth spilled out of his mouth, gradually growing darker in color as he coughed up more blood.

. . .

A tall blue ogre with yellow hair ran into Koenma's office, waving a paper around almost frantically. "Koenma-sama! Koenma-sama! We've got a problem!" he said, skidding to a halt in front of a large wooden desk.

The unstable stacks of papers on the desk wavered threateningly, but did not fall. The toddler sitting behind it just glared at George. "You treat every little problem as if it were an apocalypse! What is it this time? Someone stole your parking spot? Payroll forgot to sign your paycheck? Or is the vending machine out of chips, again?"

"This is serious, sir!" George yelled, slamming the paper down in front of Koenma, but not hard enough to knock over any of the stacks. "It's Kurama!"

Koenma skimmed over the paper, bored, until he realized what it said. "What?! Kurama's dying?!" he yelled, his pacifier almost flying out of his mouth. "But he's not supposed to die for another..." Koenma started counting on his fingers, but soon gave up, throwing his hands in the air. "A really long time! What's going on?!"

"I'm not sure, sir, but--" George began, only to be interrupted.

"Get Botan in here at once!"

. . .

Alarmed, Yukina realized that Kurama was fully demon. Remembering Genkai's warning from earlier, the ice koorime rushed forward, placing her hands on the youko's chest. His sweat burned her fingers, although not as badly as his blood had. She ignored it, concentrating on healing the kitsune. She vaguely registered hearing a female voice yell "Shotgun!" but ignored it. After what seemed like an eternity, Kurama's coughing subsided, changing to shallow raspy breaths. Opening her eyes, she noticed his hair was once again red and his claws were gone, as well. She sighed, gratefully removing her burned fingers from his chest as she sat back, shaking slightly from the adrenaline.

A few minutes later, Genkai entered the room, looking tired. "I assume we just had a close call, correct?" she asked.

Yukina nodded and explained what had happened.

"I thought as much. From what you described, it sounds as though one or both of his lungs ruptured, filling them with blood. If you hadn't healed them, he would be dead right now," she commented, seating herself next to Yukina.

The ice maiden looked at her, confused. "But, what would have caused his lungs to rupture in the first place?" she asked.

"It appears the poison is attacking and destroying his vital organs. We can't neutralize it without the antidote and both of our healing abilities will be needed to keep him alive. I'll send Puu to get Yuusuke, although I doubt he'll be here until late tomorrow. Dimwit," Genkai said, muttering the last part to herself. She looked at the lantern sitting in the middle of the floor. "I have electricity, you know," she said, gesturing to the light switch on the wall.

Yukina looked away. "I know, but I thought... Well, Kurama has a headache and I thought the bright light might hurt his eyes, so..."

Genkai smiled. "That's all right. As long as you can still see what you're doing, it shouldn't be a problem."

Yukina looked at Genkai, remembering the fighting she had heard while healing Kurama. "Um, were you fighting down there? A few minutes ago, I mean," she asked.

"Yes."

"Was it the person who poisoned Kurama?"

"No. It was the plants around the temple," Genkai replied, leaning over and wiping the blood off Kurama's face. He didn't react to her touch. "It's because of Kurama that they attacked."

Yukina looked surprised. "What? He almost died a few minutes ago. Surely he wasn't using his power to--"

"You misunderstand me, girl. Kurama is a plant master and is acutely aware of any plant life around him at all times. This works both ways, as they are also acutely aware of him. When his life is threatened, the flora will try to protect him," Genkai explained. She wiped up the blood up off the floor, throwing the cloths in the wastebasket.

"That doesn't sound too bad," Yukina said.

Genkai snorted. "Unfortunately, the plants can't tell the difference between someone trying to hurt Kurama and someone trying to help him. They will attack anyone near him and not let anyone get close to him. And, as both our healing powers are maximized by physical contact, this makes it a little difficult to heal him," Genkai finished. She felt the temperature of the water, motioning to Yukina.

The ice maiden nodded, moving over and placing her hands on either side of the bucket. "So, in other words, someone is going to need to keep the plants out of the temple and away from Kurama while someone else heals him," Yukina said, removing her hands as she stared at the redhead, contemplatively. His breathing had evened out, although he was still coughing a little bit to rid his lungs of the small amount of blood still in them. Red flecks covered his lips.

Genkai picked up the last cloth, breaking the thin covering of ice to soak it in the now cold water. "Would you mind bringing some more cloths in here?" she asked, wiping the sweat off Kurama's face. Yukina nodded and left the room. Genkai ran the cloth down to Kurama's neck and across his chest, wringing it out with cold water in the bucket as necessary. A soft voice came from the window.

"He's not dead," Botan said, quietly.

Genkai jumped up, protectively standing between Lady Death and the defenseless kitsune. "Are you here to take his soul, ferry girl?" she asked, unconsciously falling into a defensive position.

Botan didn't seem to notice, her eyes filled with tears. "When Koenma told me Kurama was dying, I... I--" she broke off, running a hand across her eyes. She flew in through the window, dismounting from her oar, before making it disappear. She looked back at Genkai, relief filling her eyes. "I'm so glad the report was wrong!"

Genkai relaxed, kneeling again at Kurama's side and dipped the cloth in the water again. "It wasn't wrong. He was-- _is_ dying," she said, simply.

Botan blanched, her eyes traveling back to Kurama's still form, noticing for the first time his much too pale complexion, his shallow, uneven breathing and the fact that he didn't have a shirt on. She turned away, blushing.

They sat in silence until Genkai looked up, listening to something only she could hear. She smirked. "It appears that help has arrived sooner than expected."

Botan looked at Genkai, not sure what she meant.

"Why is it," a cold voice asked from the doorway, "that I can smell the kitsune's blood?"

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 2**

Hiei sat on the window sill, staring out into the dark night. Moonlight lit the landscape, illuminating the courtyard with its pale light. It filtered through the trees beyond, patches of light on the ground dancing around as the trees limbs moved in the breeze. They almost seemed to be reaching toward the fire demon, but always pulling back at the edge of the courtyard. Hiei took note of this, but did not react.

He faced the window, his Jagan Eye glowing ominously. While his eyes and ears kept track of everything happening outside, his Jagan was focused solely on the sick kitsune lying on a futon behind him, monitoring the fox's condition. Hiei could feel his pain. Kurama's labored breathing was the only sound in the room, occasionally punctuated by a soft moan or a rustle of cloth as he shifted uneasily. Yukina slept on a futon a few feet away from him, in case anything happened during the night.

Hiei had been more than a little alarmed, although he did not show it, at the state he'd found Kurama in several hours previous. Genkai had informed both he and Botan what had happened to the kitsune and had given her own theories, as well. The ferry girl had left to report to Koenma shortly after. Hiei had stayed to watch over Kurama while Genkai and Yukina got some rest.

His Jagan Eye flashed and Hiei turned his attention from the window, studying Kurama more thoroughly. He was fully demon again, which wasn't a good sign according to Genkai, so Hiei searched for what was wrong. Finding it, Hiei glanced back at the window, noticing the plants were becoming more restless and moving into the courtyard. Moving quickly, the fire demon knelt by Yukina's futon, shaking her gently, but urgently. "Yukina," he called, softly.

Crimson eyes opened slowly, locking with Hiei's. "What is it...?" she trailed off, her eyes landing on the youko. He moaned, his breathing coming in short, panting gasps as he started to hyperventilate. The ice maiden sat up, instantly awake as the events of the previous day came back to her.

"His heartbeat is irregular," Hiei informed her, moving back to the window. The plants had almost reached the temple's door. "I'll go outside and deal with the plants," he said, jumping out of the window.

Yukina placed her hands on the kitsune's heaving chest, ignoring the painful burning on her hands as she healed him. The bursts of light from Hiei's flame attacks were distracting, so she closed her eyes tightly, blocking them out. Slowly, Kurama's breathing returned to normal, his demon body changing back human. Removing her hands, she placed them in the bucket of water, cooling the liquid as she rinsed the burning sweat off her hands. Picking up a cloth, she rinsed it in the cold water before wiping Kurama's face. She looked up as Hiei came back in through the window.

Nodding to her, he resumed his place on the window sill, staring at the charred remains of plants now littering the courtyard. After replacing the cold compresses, Yukina laid back down on her futon and fell asleep.

. . .

Hiei was watching the sun rise when a strange noise caught his attention. He turned toward the source of the sound and saw Genkai pull a cell phone from Kurama's pocket. Shrugging, Hiei continued his silent vigil at the window.

Genkai checked the caller id before flipping the phone open and answering it. "Moshi moshi?"

"Um, may I speak with Suuichi, please?" an uncertain woman's voice asked.

"Is this Suuichi's mother?" Genkai asked, ignoring the question.

"Yes, I'm Shiori. May I speak with Suuichi, please?" she repeated, sounding a little worried.

"I'm sorry, but he can't talk right now," Genkai lied, smoothly.

"Is he sick? I thought he might have stayed over at a friend's house when he didn't come home last night and then when I heard the news on the radio..." Shiori trailed off. "Please, is Suuichi sick?"

"What news on the radio?" Genkai asked, curiously.

"The news about the cafeteria food served at his school yesterday. It made almost everyone very sick and he usually eats at school. Will you please tell me where he is? If he's not sick, why doesn't he have his cell phone with him? Who are you and why are you answering his phone?" Shiori demanded.

"Oh, forgive me, I forgot my manners. My name is Genkai and I live at the temple on the mountain just outside of town. Suuichi's out running errands for me right now. He drops by the temple occasionally and offered to stay with me and help out for a few days until my grandson arrives. I fell and broke my hip, so I'm not able to get around as well as I should," Genkai said, ignoring the soft chuckle her excuse elicited from Hiei.

"Oh, I see. So, I suppose he's all right, then?" Shiori asked, sounding relieved.

"Yes. I thought he had called and talked to you about this. You don't mind if he stays here to help me out for a while, do you?"

"Oh, no, of course not. I was just worried about him, that's all. Well, I'm going to be late for work, so, tell him I said hello when he gets back."

"I'll do that," Genkai said.

"Goodbye." Genkai waited until Shiori hung up before turning the phone off. "It's a good guess that these two incidences are related. The poison seems to just make humans sick while it's fatal to demons. It would appear that someone was willing to poison the entire school just to get Kurama."

Hiei snorted, derisively. "A coward."

"Yes, but we don't know whether it was a human or a demon," Genkai pointed out.

"Hn." _It doesn't matter. Either way, I will find them._

. . .

The noon sun shone down on Yuusuke and Kuwabara as they climbed the steps leading to Genkai's temple. Puu was sitting on Yuusuke's head as the Spirit Detective complained loudly to his orange-haired friend. "And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, I get woken up early this morning by this little guy trying to peck a hole in my cheek!" Yuusuke complained, jerking his thumb at Puu. The spirit beast cooed, triumphantly. "That wasn't a compliment, ya little rodent!" he said, shaking his head in an effort to dislodge the small creature. Puu held on tight, flapping his ears to help keep his balance.

"And he had the note from Genkai, huh?" Kuwabara asked.

"Yeah. I wonder what the old hag wants now?" Yuusuke wondered, idly.

They walked in silence for a little bit before Kuwabara spoke up. "Oh, that's right, I forgot! Hey, Urameshi, didja know that Kurama's school closed for a week?"

"No way! What for?" Yuusuke asked, curiously.

"Well, I heard that over half of the school got sick from the cafeteria food yesterday, including the teachers," Kuwabara replied.

"Figures. Fox-boy is the only one that actually _wants_ to go to school, so he's the one that gets a week off. Bet he didn't tell his mom and took a trip to Makai to get more plants, or something. And, of course, he'll have to fight a bunch of demons there. Man, why does he get to have all the fun while we're stuck here, goin' to _school_?!" Yuusuke complained, kicking the steps as he walked up them.

"Gimme a break, Urameshi! You never go to school, anyway."

"Ah, lay off me, will ya? Keiko yells at me enough for ditchin', and I don't need it from you, too!"

"Whatever." Kuwabara and Yuusuke both stopped, looking up. They were almost to the top of the stairs when they felt a familiar aura powering up.

"Hiei feels like he's getting ready to fight," Yuusuke said, wondering what could be going on up there.

Kuwabara's eyes grew wide. "No! He's trying to steal my beautiful Yukina away from me! Don't worry, baby, I'll save you!" he yelled, running up the stairs.

"Hey, wait a minute, stupid!" Yuusuke called, running after him.

They reached the top of the staircase only to jump out of the way as a ball of flame came hurtling at them. "Hey, watch it, will ya?!" Yuusuke yelled, from his hiding spot behind the stone statue at the top of the stairs. He stepped out carefully, glaring at Hiei, but his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the charred remains of what appeared to be plants liberally covering the courtyard. Kuwabara's face mirrored his as they stared at the diminutive fire demon.

Hiei ignored them, eyeing the plants warily. "It seems to be over for now." He turned back to Yuusuke and Kuwabara, a smile appearing on his face as he noticed the orange-haired boy's clothes were blackened and smoking slightly. He quickly covered it with a glare. "You two are late."

"Would you mind telling us what's going on?" Yuusuke asked, ignoring Hiei's glare.

"Hn." He turned and walked into the temple, the human teens falling into step behind him. Hiei stopped in front of one of the rooms, opening the shoji before stepping back to let Yukina walk out.

"Hey, baby!" Kuwabara said, excitedly running up to her. He stopped just short of reaching her. "What's that smell?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. He peered into the bucket she was holding. "Whatcha got there?"

"Kurama's breakfast," she replied, stepping past him and walking outside to empty the bucket.

Yuusuke and Kuwabara looked at each other, confused. Shrugging, they followed Hiei into the room.

Kurama was lying on a futon, curled into a fetal position, his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. His body jerked, spasmodically, as Genkai pushed some of his hair behind his ear, wiping his face with a damp cloth. Hiei resumed his perch on the windowsill.

Kurama raised his head, visibly tensing his body to control the spasms as he forced a smile. "Hello, Yuusuke, Kuwabara-kun. How are you this fine day?" he asked, breathlessly, a bit of sarcasm in his soft voice.

"Better off than you are, dude. What happened?" Yuusuke asked.

"Relax and let it pass, Kurama," Genkai instructed, softly.

Kurama closed his eyes wearily, letting his head fall back on the bedding. His body jerked again as he relaxed, although the spasms were becoming less pronounced. A slight frown and the occasional grimace was the only indication that the fox was in pain.

"The fox has been poisoned," Genkai answered, looking at her student.

"How would someone be able to--" Yuusuke began.

"You heard about the incident in the cafeteria at Kurama's school?"

Yuusuke nodded. "Yeah, but Kurama's immune to human diseases, isn't he?"

"His demon form is invulnerable to ningen illness, but food poisoning isn't a disease, Yuusuke. Besides, that wasn't of human origin. While this particular poison may be harmful to a human, it's fatal to a demon," Genkai explained.

"So, what's the big deal about? Kurama's in his human form, right? So, he'll get a little sick and then he'll get over it," Yuusuke said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dimwit."

"What?!"

"Kurama's body isn't completely human, and he doesn't have the energy to stay in his ningen form. He's dying, Yuusuke. His organs are failing him. His lungs were ruptured last night, his heart almost stopped early this morning and his stomach failed just a few moments ago. The only reason he's still alive is because Yukina and myself have been healing him," Genkai explained.

"So, you want me to find the guy who did this and get the antidote, right?" Yuusuke asked, already heading for the door.

"No, you are going to stay here and babysit."

Yuusuke spun around so fast he almost fell over. "What?!" he asked, incredulously. "One of my friends is dying, and you expect me to do nothing?!" he demanded.

"Hiei will be looking for whoever is responsible for this-- he'll be much faster than you. You will stay here, but don't worry-- you'll have plenty to do," Genkai replied, smirking.

"Like what?"

"Fighting off the plants around the temple every time Kurama has a close call. Also, one of you will need to give him some of your energy every day. I gave him some of my energy yesterday and Hiei gave him some today, but Yukina and I need to save our energy to heal him and Hiei won't be here, so that job now falls to you two," she said, pointing at Yuusuke and Kuwabara.

"All right, all right. I guess I'll stay," Yuusuke said, although he looked at Kurama worriedly.

"Hn." Now that he was sure Kurama would be taken care of, he was able to leave. /Kurama/ he called, softly.

The fox started, having drifted off to sleep sometime during the conversation. /Yes, Hiei?/ he asked, weakly.

/I'm going to find who did this and bring back the antidote. Before I go, I want you to promise me that you will still be alive when I get back./

Kurama opened his eyes, turning his head towards the window where Hiei sat. /Hiei.../ he began.

/You owe me for helping you with that potion during the Dark Tournament, remember? I'm collecting on that debt now. You must remain alive until I return/ Hiei said, forcefully. /You're the only other intelligent member of this team. I will kill the ningen if I have to work with him alone./

Kurama closed his eyes, a faint smile touching his lips. It vanished as quickly as it had come. /Hiei, you know I can't promise that I'll be alive when you return...but I will try./

/Hn./ Hiei stood, preparing to exit through the window before jumping back, barely avoiding Botan as she flew in through the window.

"Oh, sorry Hiei, I didn't see you there," she said, smiling cheerily. Her smile faded as she glanced down at Kurama. "Still isn't doing too well, is he?" she asked, hopping off her oar.

"What does Koenma say about this situation?" Genkai asked, neutrally.

"Well, it's not Kurama's time to die, so I'm here to help. My healing abilities aren't as good as yours, but I'll do my best. Also, I have another communication mirror, to keep in touch when you look for the antidote, since you obviously don't have yours with you, Yuusuke. I tried calling it, but no one picked up," she said, holding the mirror out to him.

"I'm not going," Yuusuke replied.

"What? But, surely--"

"I need him here. Hiei will be searching for it," Genkai explained.

Botan turned to Hiei, tossing him the mirror. "All right! There you go, Hiei! I'm sure you know how to use it and I'll be here to keep you informed on what's happening on our end."

Hiei eyed the pink mirror, distastefully. "Hn." Stowing the offensively bright colored object deep within his cloak, Hiei disappeared out the window.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 3**

Hiei flitted through the trees, silently, hurrying towards his destination. The koorime paid no mind to the humans walking along the street below him-- all they would see was a black blur, if that, before he was gone. Reaching his destination, the fire apparition jumped to the ground, landing inside the locked gates of Kurama's school.

_If this is a demon's work, there should still be a residue of his youki if he was here in the past forty-eight hours. It would most likely be located around the kitchens,_ Hiei thought, removing the ward on his Jagan as he moved toward the cafeteria.

Jumping on the rooftops, Hiei quickly found the building that smelled vaguely of food and strongly of disinfecting chemicals. His Jagan Eye glowed as he searched, trying to look beyond Kurama's unique demon energy signature to see if it was masking another's. Hiei's lips curved upward as he found it, the residue from a lower level demon's aura.

Now that he was able to focus on it, the youki became clear enough for him to follow it out of the school. The going was slow, Hiei jumping from tree to tree, trying to avoid curious ningen eyes while still keeping track of the faint trail. After four hours of tracking, Hiei found a portal hidden in the park. It was obvious that the culprit had used it to escape to one of the other realms, most likely back into the Makai. Thinking of the terms of his parole, Hiei hesitated. He was not allowed to leave the city, unless under Reikai orders. If he violated that, it would not only be him that was thrown back into Reikai prison, but Kurama as well. Hiei grit his teeth. _Of course, the fox has to be alive for them to punish him,_ he thought, stepping through the gateway connecting the dimensions.

The portal did indeed lead to Makai, a region of it that he was somewhat familiar with, but he lost the trail. The demon had been all over this place and Hiei couldn't tell which way was the most recent path with the same energy patterns overlapping so much. Fortunately, the fact that the demon had been here so often indicated that he lived somewhere close, or frequented this place, at the very least.

Hearing several people approach, Hiei jumped into a tree, concealing himself within its branches. He didn't sense the one he was looking for, but he listened to their conversation as seven demons drew nearer the portal.

"Do you think he got Kurata, Masaru?" one tall demon with gray skin and black horns asked. He was bald and carried a spiked club, leaning it almost carelessly over his shoulder.

"I don't know, Tabito, that is why we need to go check and make sure that murderer is dead. Why are you here, anyway? This matter does not concern you," the one identified as Masaru said, staring at the taller demon, coldly. Masaru had red skin with black hair and he carried a sword at his side.

Tabito shrugged, a bloodthirsty grin forming on his face. "Oh, you know me. I heard you were gonna go kill someone, and I just had to tag along," he replied, either unaware of, or ignoring, the glares his companions shot his way. "After all, kitsune aren't easy to take down."

Hiei, thinking the conversation had nothing to do with his goal, was starting to leave. He stopped short when he heard one of the demons mention a kitsune.

"If Shimogoe's plan worked, that assassin will already be dead. He poisoned the food at the ningen school that the kitsune frequents and there was enough poison to kill even Lord Yomi, so it is unlikely our prey survived. However, we all know how tricky those foxes can be," Masaru said, darkly.

Tabito opened his mouth to reply when there was two _thumps_ behind him. He turned, hearing a third _thump_ as he did so. Masaru had turned as well, only to be greeted by the sight of three of his comrades on the ground, dead. Hiei stood in front of the corpses, his bloody sword pointing at Masaru. "Where is the one that poisoned Kurama?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

The four remaining demons charged Hiei, who seemed to disappear with a black blur. He reappeared behind one of them, slicing his body in two. The fire demon spun, parrying Tabito's club before he ducked a punch from the other demon, simultaneously swinging his leg out to knock Tabito off his feet. Hiei rolled out of the way as Masaru's sword imbedded itself in the koorime's cloak. Rising to a crouched position, Hiei swung his sword, decapitating Tabito, who had also risen to his knees. He continued through with the swing, pivoting on his toes, and his blade slashed into the other demon's stomach. Quickly changing the direction of his momentum, Hiei stabbed upward through the rib cage, piercing his heart. Wrenching his sword free, the koorime turned and blocked Masaru's sword. "Where is the one that poisoned Kurama?!" Hiei asked through clenched teeth, peering at his opponent over their crossed blades.

"I will tell you nothing, you scum! I've seen you hanging out with the traitorous kitsune! You deserve to die with her!" Masaru shot back, trying to overpower the shorter demon.

Hiei blinked, jumping back in surprise. "Her?" he asked, blankly. _Could there have been a mistake? No, they said the kitsune's school was poisoned and there was no trace of any other demon's energy. He must mean Kurama. But, why does he think the kitsune is a girl?_ Hiei wondered, confused. "What quarrel do you have with Kurama?" he asked.

"Don't bother trying any of your mind games on me, they won't work, even with that evil eye! Changing the name slightly to make her sound like a boy! I heard you call her Kurata-- that's how we found her. Oh, yes, we've been watching you two for a long time, waiting for the opportune moment!" He laughed, suddenly, looking at Hiei with a triumphant smile. "There's nothing you can do! The fact that you're here now proves it worked! She must be dead by now!"

Hiei resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead scowling at the moron in front of him. This was getting him nowhere and Kurama did not have time to spare on idle threats. He stared into Masaru's eyes, unblinking. The demon met his gaze, determined to win the staring contest. Hiei's Jagan glowed as he entered Masaru's mind. _Weak-minded fool,_ Hiei thought, derisively. He looked through the memories, easily finding the name and location of the one who had poisoned Kurama. "Shimogoe," Hiei spat as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth. Without any further hesitation, Hiei quickly decapitated the demon before hurrying on his way. He had found a solid lead much sooner than he thought and at this rate, Kurama might be well on his way to recovery by tomorrow.

Despite having specific directions, it took Hiei three more hours to locate Shimogoe. He recognized the energy, speeding up as he neared its source. A demon came into view, walking down the path ahead of Hiei. He had red skin, a little lighter than Masaru's, and brown hair. He carried an axe over his shoulder, although it looked a little too big for him to use. He turned around, hearing Hiei stop a few feet behind him. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the fire apparition.

"Well, if it isn't that wench's little whore!" Shimogoe yelled, his voice shaking slightly as he raised the ax.

Hiei blinked, too surprised to even be insulted. "What?"

"You heard me!"

Hiei shook his head. _First time anyone has called me that, before..._ "Give me the antidote and I promise to kill you quickly. If you refuse, I will torture you until you reveal it to me, and then I will let the kitsune decide your fate. Although I must warn you-- the fox is much more ruthless than I am," Hiei said, glaring at Shimogoe.

"I'll never tell you! That red kitsune will pay for what she has done!" he yelled. His voice came out sounding like a terrified shriek.

Hiei stared, incredulously. _ Red kitsune? Just because his ningen form has red hair, they assume his demon form does, as well? Of course, they also think he is a girl named Kurata. These people honestly have no idea who they are dealing with. Ah, well, what did Kurama say? Play with fire and you end up burned?_ Hiei's face widened in a malicious smile. "I was hoping you'd resist," he said, darkly, advancing on the demon.

. . .

Yuusuke ran, punching and kicking various forms of vegetation as they came within reach. He circled back, wondering what was taking Genkai so long to heal Kurama. A strangled cry behind him made him turn towards its source.

"Ack! Urameshi, help!" Kuwabara yelled. Several large vines had encircled his body, pinning his arms to his sides while a smaller vine was tightening around his throat.

Swiftly moving towards his comrade, Yuusuke charged his hands with reiki before grabbing the vines and ripping them into pieces. Kuwabara fell to his knees, one hand reflexively clutching his throat, as he took several gulping breaths.

"I don't have time to rescue you, Kuwabara!" Yuusuke yelled, running to head off several plants that had slipped past him when he was helping Kuwabara. "If you're only going to slow me down, then go wait inside!"

Kuwabara bristled at the insult, cutting down some shrubbery with his Spirit Sword. "It's not my fault! Those plants are as tricky as Kurama! They snuck up on me from behind!" he shot back, defensively.

Knocking the plants back, Yuusuke looked out at the writhing mass of greenery covering the courtyard, all moving towards the door he was guarding. "Screw this!" he yelled, holding his hand up, palm out with his fingers spread wide, his other hand bracing the wrist. "Shotgun!"

A massive ball of reiki came from the teen's out-stretched hand, breaking off into many smaller blasts as they spread out, destroying all the flora within the courtyard in a myriad of explosions. Yuusuke paused, his breathing heavier than normal as he waited for the smoke to clear. His eyes widened as it did, giving him a view of the extent of the damage. He put a hand to the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Oops. Guess I got a little carried away there, huh?"

"I'll say! Watch where you're aiming! You nearly got me, too!" Kuwabara yelled angrily, rubbing his burned arm where one of the blasts had grazed him. He followed Yuusuke's stare. "Oh, I see whatcha mean."

The charred remains of the plants were scattered throughout the courtyard, but it didn't end there. Yuusuke's attack had broken through the wall surrounding the complex, burning the wards placed on that side of the temple. The path of destruction continued halfway down the mountain, at least, the smoking remnants of foliage all that remained.

"Well, at least we won't have quite as many plants to worry about next time," Yuusuke said, turning and walking back into the temple, nonchalant. Kuwabara followed him.

They walked to Kurama's room, running into Yukina as she came out. "Hey, baby! Got any more of that healing power?!" Kuwabara asked, enthusiastically.

"Uh--" the ice maiden began.

"No," Genkai interrupted.

"What?! Why not?!" Kuwabara demanded, indignant.

"Our healing abilities need to be pooled to keep Kurama alive. If you get injured, you have to take care of it the old fashioned way. There are bandages in the cupboard as well as ointment. If you can't keep from getting hurt, then I suggest you stay inside while Yuusuke takes care of the plants," Genkai retorted, not looking up from her position beside Kurama.

Grumbling, Kuwabara walked over to the cabinet, grabbing a roll of bandages and some salve. Yuusuke walked up behind Genkai. "How's he doin'?" he asked, looking down at the unconscious redhead, solemnly. Kurama's body was jerking, convulsively.

"He's still alive and as stable as we can get him," she replied, wiping sweat off his forehead. "The spasms should pass in a few moments. Botan, bring me a pitcher filled with water. We'll try and get him to drink some more when he wakes up."

The blue-haired ferry girl nodded obediently and left the room. Yuusuke moved over to the windowsill, looking up at the darkening sky. He turned when he heard the shoji open, seeing Yukina enter the room carrying another stack of clean cloths.

It was a few more minutes before Botan returned, carrying the pitcher. She ran into the room, almost spilling the water in her excitement. "Everyone, I've got good news! I've just heard from Hiei!" she said, breathlessly.

"What did he say? Has he gotten any leads yet?" Yukina asked, looking hopeful.

"Better. He found the demon that poisoned Kurama and was able to find out how to make the remedy!" she said. "Kurama will be back on his feet in no time!"

Yukina's face broke into a relieved smile while Yuusuke pumped his fist in the air. "All right! Way to go, Hiei!" he yelled, excitedly.

"It's too early for you to start celebrating just yet, Yuusuke," Genkai's voice cut through cheering.

"What do you mean, grandma? All Hiei has to do is pick up a few things, put it together and Kurama's home free, right?" Yuusuke asked.

"Essentially, yes," the old psychic replied.

"Then, what's there to worry about? Hiei can do that in no time!"

"Dimwit. This poison is exceptionally strong. That means the ingredients, for both the poison and the antidote are probably rare and extremely hard to find," she explained, effectively dampening everyone's moods. She dampened another cloth, wiping off the sweat that had run down Kurama's neck. He stirred at the contact, moaning softly. Genkai continued to run the cool cloth across his fevered skin until the fox opened his eyes.

"Good news, Kurama. Hiei found the demon that poisoned you and has learned how to make the antidote," she informed him.

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Kurama glanced around the room, taking in everyone's gloomy faces before sighing. "I take it that he has to gather the ingredients, first?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"He didn't say, but it shouldn't take him that long either way," she said.

Kurama knew the words were meant to comfort him, but they did not. He had been able to recognize at least three plant poisons that had been used and they were not easy to obtain, even for a plant master like himself. He could only guess at how long it would take to find the rest.

Kurama paused, gathering his strength, pushing himself into a sitting position and rising to his feet, staggering slightly before catching his balance. No one rushed to assist him, for which he was grateful.

"And just where do you think you are going?" Genkai inquired.

"Have to use the facilities," he explained, moving towards the door.

Genkai motioned to Yuusuke. The black-haired boy followed the kitsune out of the room.

"Yuusuke, I may be dying, but I can still go to the restroom by myself," Kurama said, tersely, as Yuusuke reached out an arm to steady him.

"I know, Kurama. We're only trying to help," he replied, withdrawing his arm, but staying close enough to offer assistance if needed.

Kurama sighed. "I know, and I appreciate it. I apologize. It's just... I've been independent for over a millennia, and now I can't even walk to the bathroom under my own power? It certainly is a hard blow to my pride," he said, ruefully, supporting himself against the wall as he walked.

"Well, what about when your human body was being potty-trained?"

"That was different, Yuusuke. I had to learn how to control the bodily functions of this ningen body. Now, if you will excuse me," Kurama said, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.

Yuusuke leaned against the wall, waiting until Kurama had finished. He looked up when the kitsune emerged. "You know, I get that you want to do things by yourself, but you don't have to. You've got friends here who want to help. It's okay to lean on us," he said, not making eye contact.

Kurama looked surprised at such serious, but heartfelt words from the teenager. Refraining from further embarrassing the ningen due to exhaustion, the fox leaned heavily against the doorway. "Was that meant figuratively or literally?"

"Both, I guess," Yuusuke said after a pause. He met Kurama's eyes, a lop-sided grin forming on his face. "You look like you can use all the support you can get."

Kurama smiled, faintly. The short walk to the bathroom had tired him out more than he would like to admit. The kitsune paused, closing his eyes and reflexively raising a hand to his chest as it became a little more difficult to breathe. His body tensed, reflexively, as he felt more muscle spasms coming. He felt Yuusuke's hand on his shoulder. "You all right, man?" he asked, concerned.

Kurama opened his eyes, forcing a smile. "I'm fine."

"Come on, man, let's go back to the room so you can lay down," Yuusuke said, pulling Kurama's arm over his shoulder. The kitsune did not resist.

They walked back down the hall in silence, Yuusuke looking at the fox, worriedly. Although Kurama had closed his eyes again, he could sense his friend's eyes, watching him. He ignored it, leaning heavily on the Spirit Detective while he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. His chest felt constricted, making it difficult to draw a deep breath.

Upon reaching the room, Yuusuke lowered him gently back onto the futon, silently resuming his watch at the window. Kurama collapsed gratefully back onto the bed. Genkai picked up a cup, moving over to the side of Kurama's bed once again. "Here, try to drink this," she said, bringing the cup to his lips.

He accepted the water gratefully, the cool liquid burning his parched throat as he swallowed it. He drained two more cups, shaking his head as Genkai moved to refill it a third time. Suddenly, his face contorted and his body tensed as a spasm of pain tore through him. He held his breath, waiting for it to pass. He felt the cool cloth caressing his face again and tried to focus on that until the pain faded. His body relaxed, falling limply back, his harsh breathing filling the silence that had descended upon the group. He opened his eyes, his gaze resting on the ceiling. _Hiei, please hurry._

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 4**

Hiei walked through the forest, his Jagan Eye glowing as he scanned the area for any wayward demons that might have the misfortune of crossing his path. The rising sun was beginning to lighten the sky, although it had yet to penetrate the dark canopy covering the forest. He had slept little the night before, instead opting to travel towards his next destination. He looked around continually, searching for something. Noticing several small wisps of smoke seeming to come from the ground, the fire apparition cast his eyes upwards, knowing he was close. He paused, staring up at a tree to his left. Barely visible in the dim light, were two branches crossed together just below three holes in the tree where branches might have once been, but had broken off. The bottom hole, which was larger than the other two, had several shards of wood sticking out of it. In the lighting, it vaguely resembled a screaming skull, sitting atop a pair of crossbones.

Smiling, Hiei made his way over to the tree. Standing directly under the natural sign, the fire demon reached out and pushed against the bark of the tree. It took a bit of effort to move, but it swung open to reveal a set of stairs leading down. Hiei entered the tree, closing the door behind him, and walked down the stairs.

Light at the base of the staircase became visible as the koorime got closer. Reaching the bottom, he stopped in front of a door with a small window, light shining out through the hole and illuminating the bottom stairs. Raising his hand, Hiei knocked on the door. There was the sound of someone walking across the floor and a head looked through the window, blocking most of the light. The figure moved back and opened the door.

A large demon stood there, towering over the small fire apparition. He had dark blue fur covering his well-muscled body and a single horn protruding from his forehead. "Hiei, I almost didn't recognize you. I haven't seen you around here for a few years now. Where have you been?" he asked, amiably, stepping back and allowing the koorime to pass.

"Where I've been is my own business, Fujio," Hiei replied, sharply, as he walked through the doorway. Across the room, there was a door next to a fireplace, in front of which sat a table with four chairs. A desk was located a little to the left of that. The walls were lined with shelves and there were several rows of bookcases with a walkway down the middle of the room. They were filled with vials of all different sizes. It seemed to be divided, with liquids on one side of the room and various bits and pieces of plants, animals, demons and even a few human parts in containers on the other side. Torches burned along the walls, lighting the room. Faint pinpricks of light dotted the ceiling, caused by small holes through the forest floor, allowing the smoke to escape without drawing unwanted attention.

Fujio shrugged, not affected in the least by the fire apparition's tone. "Alright then, we'll skip the chit-chat. As I recall, you never were very social anyway." He walked past Hiei, pulling out a chair and seating himself at the table. "I assume you have sufficient payment for what ye'll be needing?" he asked, leaning back.

Reaching into a pouch hanging on his belt, Hiei withdrew one small black stone with light blue swirled in its center and set it on the table. "This should be more than enough," he remarked, coolly.

Fujio leaned forward, picking up the stone and inspecting it. "One hirazuki stone, eh? And a black one, too. Quite a rare find, but you seem to have no difficultly with that. Where do you get them?" he asked, curiously.

"I have my own, ah, personal supplier," Hiei replied, smiling cruelly.

"You're luckier than most, then. Well, it seems you're going to be wanting quite a few things. I'll get you a sack," he said, setting the hirazuki stone back on the table and disappearing through the door next to the fireplace. He came back into the room after a minute or two, bag in hand. "What can I getcha?"

"First off, I want you to re-label everything you put in that bag, so I know what everything is. Your current labels are useless-- the last time I came here, the labels fell off. I didn't have time to come back, so I had to experiment," Hiei said, his face darkening. Obviously, the experiments had not gone well.

The demon laughed. He walked over to the desk, pulling out a roll of masking tape and a pen. "All right, new labels. Now, what would you like?"

Hiei pulled out a piece of paper from another pocket. "Here's the list of what I need."

Fujio took it, looking over the long list. The koorime took a seat, watching while the blue-furred demon walked between the shelves, muttering to himself as he looked through his inventory. He picked up various vials, re-labeling them and putting them in the bag before marking it off the list.

"Black cohosh roots, lets see... Ah, there it is! Mark that one off. Next we have Nikashira eki venom-- that will be on this side, right... here. There we go. Now, let's see, poisonous sap from the Rupert's vine. Rupert's vine, Rupert's vine... oh? It should be right here. I'm sure I have some... Oh, there it is behind the crushed Rowan bark. All right, cross that one off..." Fujio muttered, walking around the shelves. Hiei resisted the urge to tap his foot on the floor, impatiently.

After a few minutes, Fujio approached Hiei, setting the bag on the table gently. "Well, I think that about covers it. I don't need to tell you to be careful with this-- glass shatters easily. I crossed off all the things I had, but there were a few items that I don't carry, so you're on your own," he said, handing Hiei the list.

The fire apparition looked it over, noting that there were about five items that hadn't been crossed off. If Fujio didn't carry them, they must be rare items, indeed. "Do you have any information on where I can find these things?" Hiei asked.

"Well, the hydra live in the Kinmotsu Marshes, but you'll need a lot of help to take one of them down. As luck would have it, the ea-sakusei and doku koke are rumored to be located in the swampland, too. The ea-sakusei is said to be a large skeletal bird, which only comes out at night. I think the doku koke is a stringy type of poisonous lichen that emits a faint glow. It shouldn't be too hard to find. The hiryuu is supposed to be found in the Sekiryou Mountains. I believe it's a two-headed snake of some sort, with wings-- just a small little critter. As for the fairy drop, I can't help ya on that one. I would guess it's some sort of fairy medicine, so you'll need to find one of their kind and ask about it. I think I once heard that fairy colonies can be found in groves made up of Kashima, Kaijin and Sanzashi trees," Fujio explained, sitting down while Hiei rifled through the bag, double-checking what had been marked off. Finding all the ingredients, plus a few empty vials for the last few items on the list, he re-packed the bag and stood, carefully shouldering the pack.

"Oh, one more thing," the blue demon said as the koorime started towards the door. "If you find any of those items, and you have any left over after you're through with it, why don'tcha come back an' see me? We can talk."

"Hn." Hiei didn't even bother to look back. Once outside, the koorime left the forest, walking back the way he came. _Alright, three items will be found in the Kinmotsu Marshes. I believe that is located to the east of here. It won't take that long to get there if I run, but..._ He paused, wondering what to do with the delicate vials contained inside his backpack. _I could call Botan to come and pick them up. She could take them back to Genkai's..._ Hiei's thought trailed off as he pictured the bouncy ferry girl taking the backpack. Even if it miraculously managed to survive the trip, he doubted the temple was the safest place for it, what with the plants attacking and Yuusuke and Kuwabara fighting all the time. He shook his head. _No, I'll need to keep them here until I return. But where?_ He looked around, getting his bearings. _Actually, if memory serves me correctly, Kurama showed me one of his lairs not too far from here. The plants should recognize me and let me in, while keeping everyone else out. Perfect,_ he thought, heading off towards the lair. He ran slowly, being careful with the deadly bag held securely in his arms.

After stowing the bag and transferring the empty vials to his pockets, the fire demon took off, running towards the marshes. He only had five items left to find and he was going to get them as quickly as possible.

. . .

Hiei was not happy. He had been trudging through the swamp for hours, sinking into the bog up to his knees, and he had nothing to show for it. Although he had stayed relatively close to the edge of the swamp, the stench of decaying flora and fauna permeated the air and did nothing to raise the fire koorime's spirits. Not having gotten much sleep the past two nights, he had decided to leave the hydra alone for now and look for the doku koke, since the ea-sakusei came out only at night.

Hiei cursed as he pulled his foot out of his shoe, again, while trying to step forward. Bending over, he dug through the quagmire until he found the boot, shaking it out, trying to get the gunk out of it before putting it back on his foot. Hiei did not even want to think about what was squishing between his toes as he continued onward, focusing instead on what Fujio had said about the doku koke. _Faintly glowing stringy lichen. Easy to find. I'm going to skin Fujio alive the next time I see him,_ Hiei thought, sourly, staring at the swamp around him.

Liberally covering every surface as far as the eye could see, was moss. It hid the tree trunks in a fuzzy coat, floated in patches on the water, clung to the rocks jutting out of the ground, and hung down like a slimy, furry net from every branch and vine in sight. The problem was, none of it glowed. Moss was everywhere around him, clinging to his pants as he trudged through the marsh and sticking to his face and hair from walking underneath the slimy substance. He had even replaced the bandage over his Jagan to keep it from blinding his eye. But none of it glowed.

There was a slight ripple in the water behind Hiei and two eyes surfaced, appearing to be bubbles in the water at first glance. The creature watched the unsuspecting fire demon wrestle his way through the bayou, glaring at the copious amounts of moss all around him. The eyes disappeared below the surface of the murky water, another ripple the only sign they had ever been there.

Hiei continued forward, unaware or unconcerned of the danger he was in. He had made it a few more steps before something wrapped around his legs, trying to trip him and bring him down under the surface of the water. Immediately, Hiei drew his sword, cutting off whatever part of the creature was attacking him before jumping to a small patch of relatively dry ground-- covered, of course, in the ever-abundant moss. He slipped as he landed, almost falling back into the murky water, but caught himself at the last moment. He watched as the creature rose up out of the swamp. It looked like an overgrown cross between a snake and a lizard. It had a flat, triangular head, and its mouth opened wide, showing two fangs, glistening in the light. A long, scaly neck about as thick as Hiei's thigh connected the head to what passed for shoulders, with two small legs sprouting off. The 'body' of the creature was a little wider than the neck, and disappeared beneath the murky surface.

_A water drak,_ Hiei noted. The koorime guessed the tail was what he had cut off. Hiei watched it, waiting for it to strike. The snake-like creature's head whipped forward, its jaws closing around air as Hiei stepped to the side and swung his sword down, cleanly decapitating it. The drak twitched a few times, splashing Hiei as its body thrashed in the water, before lying still.

Hiei looked at the filth covering his sword disgustedly, casting about for something to clean it off with. Not finding anything, he settled for flicking as much blood and moss off of it as he could. The lichen seemed to be opposed to this idea, clinging to the metal tenaciously. Giving it up as a lost cause, Hiei sheathed it, making a mental note to clean both sword and scabbard very thoroughly later.

Pushing slimy, wet bangs out of his face, the koorime continued, eager to put some distance between himself and the malodorous carcass. It wasn't until he was a good distance away and the smell did not lessen that Hiei understood the odor was not coming from the drak, but instead from him. Only just now realizing that he was thoroughly drenched and splattered liberally with mud, as well as smelling just as bad as the quagmire around him, Hiei swore colorfully. He continued onward, promising to burn his clothes and get new garments as soon as he found everything he needed from the swamp.

. . .

Hiei stopped, glaring at the trees behind him. "I'm tired of being followed. Either go away or show yourself," he said, his tone annoyed.

A creature peeked its head out from behind a tree before stepping out into view. It was yellow with green spots, and its head resembled that of a toad, although it stood upright. Squat arms and legs sprouted out from its bulbous stomach and it clutched what appeared to be a holey red metal umbrella that was taller than the creature itself.

"This beeba no place for fire demons! Go away! Beeba off!" it yelled, pointing the umbrella accusingly at Hiei.

"Hn."

Hiei stepped to the side as the umbrella crashed to the ground in the space he had previously occupied. Unsheathing his sword, he sliced the weapon in two, jumping out of reach.

Not to be deterred, the creature ran at Hiei, intent on skewering the smaller demon with the metal shaft. Almost as if he was bored, the fire apparition again stepped to the side, this time cutting off the arm that held the sharp pole.

Having lost not only his weapon, but his arm as well, the creature fell to the ground, clutching the bleeding stump as he bowed to Hiei. "I beeba sorry! Please forgive beeba!"

Hiei rolled his eyes at the pathetic creature before him. _I don't have time for this,_ he thought, raising his sword to decapitate it. A piercing whistle stopped him.

"Ha! I use Beeba Flute to call Wingapede! You beeba-ry sorry, now!" the creature yelled, running in the opposite direction.

Hiei moved to follow the annoying creature when he heard wings flapping and felt a strong gust of wind. He looked up. Hovering above him was a giant insect. It was yellow and green with dots of red along its body and legs, and had four clear wings sprouting out of its back. It didn't appear to have a stinger, but the large, sharp tooth-filled mouth more than made up for that. It looked hungry and it seemed to Hiei that he was about bite-size.

The koorime jumped out of the way as the wingapede dove for him. Fortunately, there wasn't a lot of room for such a large creature to maneuver, giving Hiei ample time to jump on its back. He quickly sliced off two of the wings, making sure the wingapede stayed on the ground. The creature thrashed around, trying to dislodge the fire demon that was causing it so much pain. Unable to keep his footing, Hiei jumped, landing to the side of the mammoth bug. The wingapede snapped at the koorime, trying to grab him, but the fire apparition was too quick. Jumping up, Hiei plunged his sword up to the hilt in the insect's eye. He lost his grip as the wingapede thrashed in pain, but it was only the death throes. Hiei waited, somewhat patiently, until the body had stopped moving enough for him to retrieve his weapon. He pulled out the katana, flicking his wrist to remove the excess blood and gore, before continuing on, as if nothing had happened.

. . .

That night, Hiei returned to Kurama's lair in a foul mood. He was tired, which made him cranky, and the day had been wasted. Aside from killing a few dangerous creatures and ruining his wardrobe, as well as offending his olfactory senses, he had accomplished nothing. He had stayed there past sunset, hoping to be able to find the glowing moss, but there was none. After almost being led into a trap by a willo'wisp, twice, he decided it was time to get some rest and try again in the morning.

Hiei silently thanked Kurama for having felt the need to keep clean as a demon and building this den within running distance of a waterfall. Making use of such a convenience, Hiei jumped into the water, not even bothering to remove his clothing. Swimming over the base of the waterfall, Hiei made himself comfortable on a rock, scrubbing all the moss and brine out of his hair. Once he was satisfied, he removed his scarf and proceeded to clean it as best he could before setting it aside and doing the same to his shirt. After he was done washing all his clothing, he put the wet garments back on, raising his body temperature to dry them as he ran back to the den. Feeling a little cleaner, Hiei laid down on the bed and fell asleep.

. . .

The next morning, Hiei was back in the swamps, feeling somewhat refreshed, if not happy to be back in the bayou. Seeing how the ea-sakusei didn't come out during the day, the koorime had decided to try to retrieve the hydra venom and then continue searching for the moss afterward.

Since he had not come across any hydra the day before, Hiei decided to delve deeper into the marshes-- walking, not sinking. _Although, it's easier to make progress moving downward than it is moving forward in this infernal swamp. It's like trying to move through quicksand!_ he thought, fighting his way through the bog that continually tried to pull him under. Shaking off such negative thoughts, the fire apparition continued toward what he hoped was the hydra's lair.

It was several hours before he came across a hydra. It looked like a giant centipede with brown scales covering its back. There were bits of green on the scales, although whether it was part of the scales or bits of moss, Hiei couldn't tell. The tail split into two, each side tipped with a stinger on the end. The hydra reared up, six legs rising out of the water, as it hissed at Hiei, showing its fangs. The creature was a little bigger than the koorime.

Hiei snorted. _This shouldn't be that tough,_ he thought, racing to attack. The hydra backed up, its tail flying towards Hiei. The fire demon dodged the first tail and ducked out of the way of the second. He jumped back as the hydra tried to bite him, before charging again. The koorime jumped, trying to land on the creature's back, but the hydra knocked him aside with its head, causing Hiei to slam into a tree. He fell to the ground, momentarily stunned, while the hydra spun around, using its tail to send him flying through the air once again. He landed on his back in the murky water, coughing and sputtering as his head broke through the surface. The hydra was running towards him, surprisingly quick given the terrain, while the marsh seemed to be killing Hiei's speed. Barely managing to dodge the hydra's fangs, Hiei rethought his strategy.

_Alright, so perhaps this isn't as easy as I thought. Forget that, I can't take that thing down without destroying its body, and that would defeat the entire purpose of fighting it in the first place. I need that venom! Hold on,_ Hiei thought, jumping over the tails. _If I can just--_ The hydra's head darted forward, but Hiei did not move. At the last instant, the koorime stepped to the right, grabbing the fang and slicing it off with his sword. The hydra reared back, roaring in pain and anger, but Hiei ignored it. Sheathing his sword, he pulled out a vial and drained the venom from the hollow tooth into the glass jar. Replacing the lid, Hiei decided he had enough, dropping the fang and redirecting his attention back to the hydra.

It was then Hiei realized he could feel the ground shudder and the ripples in the water weren't only from his fight. He looked up as two more hydra appeared, both several times larger than the one he was fighting. Hiei stared. _Given their size I would guess that those are the adults. But-- that means, the one I was fighting is only a baby?!_ he thought, incredulously. Hiei blanched as all three hydra turned towards him, hissing angrily. _Uh oh._

Hiei was running as fast as he could in the other direction before he had made a conscious decision to do so. Cursing the quagmire that slowed his escape, the koorime took to the trees as often as possible, opting to take his chances with the slimy branches. The moss, covering every visible thing, proved to be just as vexing as the marsh. Hiei slid off of every branch he tried to land on, being instead forced to grab the branches and swing himself to the next tree. This was not any faster than moving on the ground, but it did cause him to be completely covered in light green moss in relatively short order.

Spitting the foul-tasting lichen from his mouth, Hiei dropped back to the ground. He dared not look back, although he could hear the hydra rapidly gaining on him and fancied he could feel its hot breath on the back of his neck. Zigzagging through the swamp, he ran, trying to remain on dry ground as much as possible. For some reason, the trees seemed to be blurring together a little bit, but Hiei didn't have time to dwell on why and just avoided the clumps of green as much as possible.

After he was sure he had run almost the entire length of the swamp, he realized he could no longer hear the hydra behind him. He slowed his pace, glancing over his shoulder. The hydra were still in sight, but pacing back and forth, as if along an imaginary line. The two adults roared, angry that their prey had escaped, before turning and venturing back the way they had come. Hiei watched, relief coursing through him, as he pondered the reason they had broken off the attack. _It must be the edge of their territory. They will not pass another hydra's boundaries. As Kurama would say, it would seem that luck is on my side today._

The koorime leaned against a tree, wearily, and slid down until he was sitting against its base. His breathing was harsh, seeming to echo in the still marsh around him. _What's wrong with me?! I may have indeed run all the way across the swamp, but I shouldn't be this tired!_ he thought, wiping sweat off his forehead. He didn't remember it being this hot earlier. _It's probably because I'm covered in moss,_ he thought, trying to brush the greenery off his clothes. The lichen clung to his garments, stubbornly refusing to let go. Hiei gave up, deciding he could wash it off later. Looking up, he checked the position of the sun. _It will be dark in a few more hours. Let's hope that I am able to find both the ea-sakusei and the doku koke tonight,_ he thought, wearily rising to his feet.

. . .

Genkai turned off the faucet after the water had risen high enough, looking behind her as someone entered the bathroom. "You wanted to see me, grandma?" Yuusuke asked.

"Yes, I would like you to help Kurama take a bath," she replied, standing from her perch on the side of the tub.

"What?"

"His convulsions are getting worse, Yuusuke. Kuwabara and I were barely able to hold him down while Yukina-chan healed him this morning. We can't do anything about the seizures; our constant healing is part of what's causing them. Instead, I believe it would be better to try and relax Kurama's muscles by allowing him to soak in a hot bath. For Kurama's sake, I think it would be better if Yukina-chan and I weren't the ones to help him and, frankly, I don't trust Kuwabara to not let him drown," Genkai explained.

"So I get to help him," Yuusuke finished.

"Yes. I'll set out some clean clothes while you fetch Kurama," she said, walking past her student.

Yuusuke returned to Kurama's room and walked inside.

The teenager was sprawled out across the futon in a position that looked very uncomfortable, but apparently he did not care enough to move. Silver hair was matted to his face and green eyes opened to greet Yuusuke as he entered.

"Hey, Kurama. Feel up for a bath? It'll make you feel more human," Yuusuke said, kneeling down next to his friend.

Kurama resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the detective's feeble attempt at a joke. "No, Yuusuke," he whispered. It took too much effort to make his voice any louder.

"Aw, come on. You'll feel much better when you're through," Yuusuke insisted, lifting Kurama to a sitting position. The silver-haired ningen gasped, his face scrunching up in pain. Yuusuke supported him, not sure what he had done to hurt his friend.

After a few seconds Kurama relaxed slightly. "It hurts to move," he whispered, not moving any more than he absolutely had to.

Yuusuke's eyes widened a little bit, realizing why Kurama had been in such an uncomfortable position when he came into the room. He would rather be uncomfortable than endure the pain caused by moving. Yuusuke bit his lip. "Your seizures are getting worse, Kurama. They could barely hold you down long enough to heal you earlier. Genkai thinks a bath might help to loosen your muscles so the convulsions won't be as bad," he explained, leaving the decision up to Kurama.

The silver-haired teen thought about it, considering his options. _The pain is only getting worse, whether I move or not, and the seizures are becoming that much more painful, as well. As much as I would rather not, Genkai will insist, so I don't have much of a choice either way._ He sighed, still not looking at Yuusuke. "Very well," he whispered.

As gently as he could, Yuusuke lifted Kurama's arm over his shoulder and stood up. Kurama managed to keep from making any noise, but Yuusuke could tell how much it was hurting him. Slowly, they began making their way to the bathroom.

Kurama chuckled, bitterly. "It would appear I need your help to go to the bathroom after all," he whispered, breathlessly. "Ah, well. At least I made it four days on my own energy."

"Actually, Kurama, we've been giving you energy every morning. It's not like we're trying to hide it from you; it's just, well, you were asleep every time we did it," Yuusuke explained. He mentally kicked himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Kurama needed to feel as though he was doing it on his own right now, not being held on crutches by those around him.

"I see," came the whispered reply.

Nothing else was said as they reached their destination. Yuusuke closed the door and, looking apologetic, removed Kurama's clothes before helping him into the bath. Gently, the detective washed his friend's body, trying to cause as little pain as possible. After he was done, he moved on to the hair.

Kurama leaned against the side of the tub, sighing softly. The hot water was very relaxing and soothed his body. Yuusuke's fingers worked the shampoo into his hair, inadvertently massaging his scalp. After the past four days, Kurama had almost forgotten such pleasant feelings existed. His eyes started to drift shut when a loud voice interrupted his thoughts.

"For crying out loud, Kurama! How can you stand having hair this long? You use an entire bottle of shampoo every time you wash it!" Yuusuke complained, throwing the now empty bottle across the room.

Kurama chuckled, in spite of himself. "If you think the shampoo is bad, just wait until you put the conditioner into it," he said, softly.

"No, thank you, once is enough. Besides, this is a two-in-one," he explained, noticing Kurama's voice sounded a little stronger than before. He rinsed the silver hair, starting at the tips and working his way up. He started looking for a cup to pour the water over Kurama's head, but the kitsune scooted forward in the tub and leaned back, submerging the remaining hair underwater while keeping his face above the surface. Yuusuke, a little surprised by Kurama's willingness to move, hastened to scrub the remaining soap out of the silver strands.

The kitsune stretched, relishing the feeling of being able to move freely without causing a lot of pain. While it still hurt a bit, the pain was nothing compared to what it had been "Well, that was a lovely bath," Kurama remarked, starting to stand.

"Hang on, let me get a towel first," Yuusuke said, grabbing one from the cabinet behind the door. He helped Kurama step out of the tub, steadying the sick ningen as he used the towel to dry himself off. Securing the towel around his waist, Kurama leaned slightly over the tub, wincing slightly as he brought his hands up and began to wring the excess water out of his hair.

Yuusuke watched as water continued to fall back into the tub every time Kurama squeezed his hair. _How can his hair hold that much water?_ he wondered, noticing the level of water left in the tub was had risen significantly. "Now that you've squeezed half the tub out of your hair," he said, after Kurama had finished. Amazingly, his hair was still dripping water on the floor. "Sheesh! How much water can your hair hold?! For that matter, how can you stand having hair that long? It'd drive me crazy if my hair was anywhere near that length!" He shook his head. "Would you like to get dressed?"

Kurama chuckled, lightly. "Yes, I would. Unfortunately, I don't think I can do it by myself," he said.

After helping Kurama put on a clean pair of underwear and sweat pants, Yuusuke tried to towel-dry the silver hair. Under Kurama's supervision, he was able to dry it enough to where it wasn't dripping anymore and they headed back to the room. The futon had been replaced with a clean one and Kurama sank onto it gratefully. The bath had worked wonders as far as relaxing his muscles and reducing the pain movement caused, but it had also sapped his remaining strength.

Yukina kneeled next to him with a brush and he shifted so she could pull the wet hair out from underneath him. Starting at the tips, she worked her way up, gently brushing out the knots before moving on. Kurama stared out the window, enjoying the tingling sensation that covered his scalp whenever someone played with his hair. His eyes drifted shut as he fell asleep, a contented smile gracing his features.

Smiling softly herself, Yukina continued to brush Kurama's hair, happy to be able to give him a brief reprieve.

. . .

Tetsuyuki ran, sticking to the forests to avoid any unwanted ningen eyes. Having green skin with a long whip-like tail was bound to attract some attention and he didn't need any setbacks. He had left the group to search for the kitsune by himself because he did not need the others slowing him down. He had been looking since the night the fox was poisoned, but had yet to find any sign of the red-haired vixen. He had one last place to search before giving the fox up for dead.

He slowed his pace as he felt a nearby aura spike in preparation for battle. He stealthily made his way through the brush, his skin blending in with the plant life around him as he suppressed his energy. There was a large explosion, which was followed by multiple smaller blasts. Oddly enough, he could only sense the one aura.

Deciding to investigate further, Tetsuyuki moved closer to the battle. He was surprised to see the person fighting was not the psychic Genkai, but a ningen teenager. Even more shocking was the fact that the boy was not facing an opponent, per se, but rather a mountainside of vicious plants. He watched the battle, perplexed by the oddities, until he felt a spike of familiar energy from within the complex beyond the boy. His mouth widened into a feral smile. _Kurata, your energy burns so brightly! Just like a candle right before the flame is snuffed out. You're not dead yet, but you will be shortly. I have found you._

"Shotgun!"

Tetsuyuki's attention was drawn back to the fight in front of him as an enormous blast of energy wiped out most of the plant life on this side of the mountain, the path of destruction a mere ten feet from the demon's hiding place. Looking back up to the top, he saw the human bent over, hands supporting the weight of his upper body on his knees. Even from Tetsuyuki's spot, he could see that the teen was breathing hard, tired from exerting so much energy. With a visible effort, the ningen stood up straight and walked toward the temple.

After the human had disappeared, Tetsuyuki chanced getting closer to the building. He skirted the edge of the path of destruction, walking up to, but not entering, the courtyard. He was pleased to see the burnt remains of a ward that had previously kept ones such as himself out.

The gears in his mind were turning, coming up with a plan. _Kurata should have been dead by now, but obviously she is somehow being healed. I didn't know she was a plant master, though,_ he thought, looking at the destruction behind him. He shook his head, coming back to the matter at hand. _In any case, should she have survived this last attack, there should be another one sometime tonight. I'll wait until the boy has exhausted himself again and strike when they are vulnerable. She dies tonight._

. . .

Hiei landed, sheathing his sword, as the pentapus behind him fell over, dead. It resembled a giant squid with five tentacles covered in small suction cups. A large mouth filled with sharp teeth sat atop the legs and two bulbous eyes protruded from either side of the head. This one also had a slash through the top of its head where Hiei had sliced through its brain.

The fire demon stood, panting as he leaned against the tree behind him. It was several hours after dark and there had been no sign of any skeletal birds or glowing moss. To top it all off, Hiei was sure something in the swamp was poisoning him, slowly draining away his energy. He knew he could last a few hours more before it became more than an annoyance, so he ignored it for now. Still, he had been searching for the past few hours; so, deciding it was time for a break, he rested against the tree while trying to bring his breathing back under control. It was then that the powers that be chose to aid him.

Sitting with his back against a moss-covered trunk, Hiei became aware of an odd noise that seemed to be coming closer. It reminded Hiei of old bones creaking in protest as they were moved, combined with what sounded similar to bat wings moving through the air. He was on his feet in an instant, searching for the source of the noise. His mouth curled into a triumphant smile when he saw it.

A little ways away from Hiei, hovering above the dead pentapus, was what could be best described as a skeletal bird. The skull had a sharp beak and dark, empty sockets where the eyes would sit. Vertebrae connected the skull to a rib cage and continued down to form a long tail, ending in a sharp tip. It didn't appear to have any legs, although several long lines of bones sprouting from the back of the rib cage moved through the air as though they were wings. Hiei did not see how these were able to keep the creature afloat.

The ea-sakusei seemed to be fighting with something in the air, although there was nothing there. Hiei watched, curiously, as it struggled against an invisible foe, finally emerging victorious. With a start, Hiei realized what had happened. The ea-sakusei was a scavenger; only it didn't eat the carcass of the dead animal. It ate the soul.

_Well, that makes things easier,_ Hiei thought, sarcastically. The creature was completely made up of bones and the only way to kill it was to destroy it completely. _Of course, I'm not even sure if that would work. It seems my best option is to take it alive-- or, at least, as alive as it can be considered. I hate dealing with trans-dimensional creatures._ Hiei moved swiftly, cutting down several strong-looking vines from the tree behind him.

The ea-sakusei ignored him, finishing its meal. After all, the bird didn't have any meat on its bones, so why would predators go after it?

Hiei waited until it started to fly away. Jumping up, he swiftly grabbed its wings, pinning them to the rib cage and wrapping the vines around it. The bird flailed, trying to escape and attacking Hiei with its beak, leaving several long gashes on Hiei's arms. Ignoring his injuries, the koorime finished tying the wings to the body and wrapped the vine around the ea-sakusei's beak, securing that to the rib cage, as well. He ignored the tail, which had wrapped around his legs, trying to trip him. Once the bird was securely bound, Hiei pulled the communication mirror out of his pocket.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 5**

Botan jumped, pulling the communication mirror out of her pocket. She flipped the lid open, only to be greeted with a blank screen "That's odd, I was sure someone was calling me…" she muttered, starting to close the lid.

"Someone did call you," a voice snapped from the darkness.

Botan jumped. "Who's there?"

"It's Hiei, and I need you to come pick up the ea-sakusei," he explained.

"Oh, Hiei! I had forgotten that I gave you a mirror. Although, did you drop it or something? I think it might be broken. I can't see a thing," she said.

"That's because I'm currently standing in a swamp in the middle of the night," he replied, curtly.

"Oh, right. So, uh, what did you need?"

There as a long-suffering sigh. "I need you to come to the Makai and take this ea-sakusei back to Genkai's. I can't carry it around with me while I look for the other items," he explained.

"Right! Where are you, exactly?" she asked, summoning her oar.

"I'm somewhere in the Kinmotsu Marshes. Can you track the communicator, or do I need to start a bonfire?" he asked, sarcastically.

"I should be able to track the signal without too much difficulty. Uh, Hiei do you have something on your shirt?" she asked, looking at the screen intently.

"What? Why?"

"Well, there seems to be something glowing on your shirt, although it is rather difficult to see," she explained.

A piece of the glowing substance was ripped off and held up to the screen. "You can see this? Is this glowing?" Hiei asked.

"Uh, yes. Faintly, but it is definitely glowing," she replied.

The object was removed from view. "Figures," Hiei muttered.

"Hiei?"

"Just come get the bird," he said, snapping the mirror shut.

Shrugging, Botan mounted her oar and exited through the window.

. . .

Hiei glared at the moss he had placed in the vial. _Glows faintly, does it? Didn't think it was important to mention that the glow can't be seen by demons?! The next time I see Fujio--_ Hiei's murderous thoughts were cut off by a cheery voice calling down to him from the sky.

"Hello? Hiei, are you here?"

"I have fought enough hydra, pentapuses, wingapedes, draks and willo'wisps for one trip to the swamp-- I would appreciate it if you did not call any more," he replied. He watched as she descended toward the ground.

"Oh, there you are, Hiei! Very nice of you to put that glowing stuff all over your clothes so I can see you," she said, floating over to him.

"Here," he said, shoving the ea-sakusei into her arms. The bird thrashed, easily breaking free of Botan's gasp. Hiei deftly caught it, looking at the ferry girl disapprovingly.

"Where did it go, Hiei? I can't see a thing! What was that, by the way? It felt like I was holding onto bones until it started moving!"

"It is." Breaking a low-hanging branch off of a tree, Hiei stuck it in the ground and set the end on fire. The black flames provided enough light to see by and they stayed lit on the wet branch, the moss crackling as it burned. The sudden light startled the ea-sakusei, who began thrashing with renewed vigor. Its tail ripped through Hiei's cloak, causing a piece of paper to fall out and flutter to the ground. Grabbing one of the extra vines he had cut, Hiei seized the tail, tying it to the rib cage. "That should hold it," he said, turning back towards Botan.

The ferry girl's eyes were wide and she had her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "H-Hiei, what ha-happened to you?" she asked, squeezing the words out between fits of giggles. His clothes and hair were covered in moss and mud and there were also a few twigs sticking out of his hair from his mad dash through the swamp earlier, courtesy of the hydra.

He glowered at her. "What?!" he demanded, not in the mood to be made fun of.

"Nothing!" Botan practically screeched, her attempts at containing her mirth failing miserably. She looked away, trying to calm herself before Hiei lost his temper. Her eyes landed on a piece of paper that seemed to have a long list of names on it. "What is that?" she asked, curiously.

Hiei followed her gaze. "It's the list of ingredients for the antidote," he replied, picking it up and putting it back in his pocket.

Botan sobered immediately. "All of those?" she asked, shocked. After all, it had been three days and this was the first item Hiei had found.

"Yes." He handed her what appeared to be a pile of bones tied together. "Take this back to Genkai's, and don't drop it-- I don't want to have to come back and find another one," he said.

Botan nodded, mutely. It was then she noticed the blood on his arms. "You're hurt!"

"Hn."

"Let me see it," she said, taking he arm and examining it. She held her hand over the gashes. "This should only take a minute."

"You should save your energy to heal the fox," he protested, but did not move his arm.

Botan didn't look up. "We're all counting on you to get the antidote, Hiei. If you die because of your injuries, it won't matter if we're healing Kurama or not."

"I won't die from a wound like this."

"Maybe not," she replied, taking his other arm. "But it certainly won't help you succeed."

"Hn."

Botan finished healing his arm and stepped back, mounting her oar, skeletal bird in hand. Hiei hesitated. "How's Kurama?" he asked, softly.

Botan lowered her head. "I won't lie, he's getting worse. There have been about three episodes per day, and he's getting weaker. I'm not sure how much longer he'll last," she said, whispering the last part.

Hiei paused, his emotions warring inside of him, before turning away. "Hn." He ran, disappearing through the curtains of moss as the black flames died down to nothing, leaving Botan alone in the darkness.

. . .

As worried as Hiei was, he returned to the waterfall, washing his clothes as he had done the previous night. His next target was the hiryuu and the strong odors of the swamp would alert any creature near him to his presence. Also, it wasn't the swamp that had been weakening him all day; it had been the poison moss covering his body. As much as he would love to burn his clothes, he didn't have time to find new ones and he refused to search for the snake naked. Feeling exhausted, Hiei returned to Kurama's lair and fell asleep, promising to get an early start the next day.

. . .

"Hold still, you!"

Genkai looked up, spotting Botan outside the window on her oar. She seemed to be struggling with what appeared to be a bundle of bones that had been tied together with vines. Getting the writhing pile under one arm, Botan looked up, noticing Genkai for the first time.

"Oh, master Genkai! I didn't see you there! Do you have a cage or something I can put this in?" she asked, gesturing to the bound skeleton under her arm.

Genkai studied the now still bones curiously. "What is that and why would I want to keep it in my temple?" the psychic asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure what it is, but Hiei asked me to come and pick it up, so I think he needs it for Kurama's antidote," she explained.

Genkai nodded. "How is the search going, by the way?" she asked.

Botan's face fell. She peered over Genkai's shoulder into the room, looking at Kurama. He lay on the futon, his eyes closed, breathing shallowly. His breath caught in his throat, his face contorting in pain. A soft whimper was heard as he moved his head to the side, as if he was having a nightmare. It was a few seconds before he relaxed, whatever pain or dreams plaguing him momentarily releasing their hold.

Satisfied that he was asleep, Botan's eyes shifted back to Genkai's. "Well, it's not good," she said, lowering her voice. "I saw the list of things Hiei needs to gather-- there were so many items! And this is the first thing he's found! I just-- I don't know if Kurama can last that long!" she said, trying to control her emotions.

"He'll make it," Genkai assured her.

"I hope you're right," the ferry girl replied. The ea-sakusei started thrashing again, still trying to get away. "Will you stop it, already?!" she exclaimed, adjusting her grip on the skeletal bird.

Genkai looked towards the doorway. "Yukina should be back in a moment. I'll meet you outside and show you where to put that, ah, creature," she said, leaving the room. Botan flew down and landed in the courtyard.

Back in the room, Kurama opened his eyes. _Hiei has only found one item so far? I knew it would take him a while, but... Botan is right. I will not be able to withstand the poison for such an extended period of time._ Kurama closed his eyes, remembering what Yuusuke had said earlier. _Of course, it is not on my own energy that I have been able to last this long._ He bit his lip to keep from crying out as a wave of pain crashed down on him. It felt as though he was being stabbed from within repeatedly with a hundred hot pokers. Breathing only intensified the pain, so he held his breath, waiting for it to subside. He felt a cool cloth on his forehead. Yukina had returned.

Kurama's lungs were screaming for air, so he drew in a quick breath. It turned into a gasp as the pain increased dramatically. His chest felt like it was on fire. _I-- can't-- do this-- anymore--_ he thought, his head falling limply to the side as he passed out. Yukina continued to wipe his face, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

. . .

Tetsuyuki jumped, startled to wakefulness as explosions rent the calm night air. Judging by the stiffness in his neck and back, he had been sitting in the same position for hours. He looked up at the sky. _Hm, the moon is already going down. I must have fallen asleep shortly after that ferry girl came back. Is she waiting to take that vixen's soul? Well, she won't have to wait much longer,_ he thought, waiting for the ningen to wear himself out destroying plants.

Tetsuyuki watched as the battle drew to a close, his eyes following the movements of the tired teen as he went back into the building. Sneaking up to the edge of the courtyard once again, he watched as the lights all went out, one by one.

Not wanting to take any chances, the demon waited for about an hour before silently entering the courtyard. He smiled as he pushed open the shoji, silently making his way towards the kitsune's aura. He stopped in front of a room, sliding the door open.

Moonlight filtered in through the open window, illuminating the form lying on a futon. The soft beams made the face look as pale as death, the sweat soaked hair glistening eerily in the light. The blankets moved in time with the raspy breathing that was breaking the silence.

His prey in sight, Tetsuyuki stepped into the room slowly, anticipating an ambush. When nothing happened, he took another step, then another. He was now halfway across the room. A feral smile alighting on his face, he slowly pulled a sword from a sheath on his side.

He took another step forward and froze. His sword was partially raised in preparation for the strike that would never land. He face was twisted into a cruel smile, his eyes fixed on the form in front of him. The moonlight glinted off of the ice that encased him, throwing odd reflections dancing upon the walls. Kurama moaned softly, tossing his head to the side before settling back into his fitful sleep.

From a corner of the room, a crimson gaze studied the scene, eyes glowing hauntingly in the darkness.

. . .

Morning came, bringing a thunderstorm with it. Dark clouds covered the sky, blocking out any light from the sun as they let loose their fury. Rain pelted the ground, the sound drowning out all other noise except for the rolling thunder. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the landscape before all was cast into darkness again. A solitary figure traveled down a dirt road, heedless of the storm. Mud was splattered on his pants and his clothes, thoroughly drenched, clung to his body as he ran.

Hiei glared at the rain as it fell around him. _First, I have to search through a swamp, and now this! Kurama had better appreciate everything I'm doing for him!_ he thought, trying to wipe the water from his face. He soon gave up the futile effort, ignoring the rain as it slid down and dripped off his nose. Growling, the miserable fire demon continued on, small amounts of steam rising from his clothing.

. . .

Kuwabara woke up to a cup of cold water being poured over his head. He sat up, sputtering and yelling insults at the person foolish enough to wake him in such a manner. His voice stopped abruptly as his eyes focused on Genkai's amused face.

"Well, that seems to have finally done it. If you don't like having such a rude awakening, I suggest you respond when I call your name. At any rate, it's time for you to give Kurama some more energy," she said, walking down the hall towards the kitchen.

Grumbling, Kuwabara walked down the hall towards the fox's room. He opened the door and walked inside. "Stupid old woman, thinks I'm Urameshi or something-- Whoa! Where did that come from?" he wondered, walking over to an ice sculpture in the middle of the room. He tapped his finger on it experimentally. "Yeah, it's real, all right."

"Good morning, Kazuma," came a soft voice from the corner.

Kuwabara spun around. "Oh, hey, baby! I didn't see you back there! Did you make this thing?" he asked, jerking his thumb as the frozen demon.

"I guess you could say that..." Yukina replied.

"Well, baby, you are good! I mean, look at the detail on this thing! Whoa, you even got all the scales on his tail! Although, it is kinda creepy looking... Not that I'm saying you did a bad job, 'cause you didn't, it's great! I just don't know why you'd make an ice sculpture of a demon like that... It would have looked much better if you made one of me!" he said, striking a pose.

Yukina looked at him blankly. _What is he talking about? That's not an ice sculpture..._

. . .

Eventually, the path Hiei was traveling on cut through a forest. The trees offered a little more protection from the rain, but not much. The fire demon slowed as he saw a figure standing in the middle of the road ahead of him. It looked like a large blue ball with arms and legs and a tuft of green hair on top. Its eyes were closed, letting the rain slide down its face, sighing contentedly. It seemed to be enjoying the miserable weather.

It looked around, spotting the koorime. Its eyes widened and it threw its arms up in the air, running away as fast as it could. Hiei watched as it disappeared into the trees, confused. _Well, that's one less creature to get in my way,_ he thought. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued on.

. . .

Kurama cried out, involuntarily, as white hot agony raced through his body. A dim portion of his mind understood that he was dying. This same part also realized it hurt more than it should have. The reason for this was because both Kuwabara and Genkai were holding him down, trying to keep him from hurting himself during his seizure. The lack of freedom caused his muscles to cramp, contributing to the overall agony he was experiencing. The end result was unbearable. It had been like this the past few days and Kurama couldn't take it anymore. "Yu--kina," he ground out as she came closer. "Don't--"

She blinked, looking a little shocked and surprised. "Kurama-san, if I don't heal you, you'll die."

"Please--" he gasped.

"Shh, it'll be over in a few minutes," she replied, soothingly, as she placed her hands on his chest.

"No-- please-- **_JUST LET ME DIE!!_**" Kurama screamed, as another wave of agony ripped through him. His body was tense for a few seconds more, before falling back, flaccidly, as a soft blue light enveloped him.

Yukina concentrated on her healing powers, ignoring the soft clink of hirazuki gems as they hit the floor.

. . .

_**"JUST LET ME DIE!!"**_

Yuusuke looked towards the window the voice had come from, surprised and more than a little shocked at Kurama's words. His mind was brought back to the matter at hand when a vine wrapped around his leg, pulling it out from underneath him. Yuusuke blasted the vine, quickly climbing back to his feet as more plants converged on him. _Hiei's supposed to be the fastest person in our group! Kurama can't last much longer-- what's taking him so long?! He needs to HURRY UP!!_ he thought, destroying the last few plants as the assault ebbed.

. . .

Hiei sneezed, skidding to a stop. _I had better not be getting sick,_ he thought, glaring at the drizzle of rain all around him. The fire demon paused, cocking his head to the side as though listening. After a few seconds, he looked around, searching for the source of the noise he heard. It sounded like... laughter? Cautiously, Hiei continued down the road.

The fire demon spotted something flitting in and out of the trees ahead of him. The small creature had long green hair with butterfly-like gossamer wings and seemed to be dressed in large leaves. She didn't even spare Hiei a glance as he approached.

"I take it that you are a fairy?" the koorime asked.

Startled eyes met Hiei's before the fairy fled. Moving quickly, Hiei grabbed her arm; careful not to hurt the winged child while making sure she couldn't leave. She struggled in his grasp, hitting and kicking him before hanging limply in defeat.

"Normal demons can't see fairies! How come you can?!" she demanded, glaring at her captor. Her eyes moved up to his forehead, her expression turning to one of stern disapproval. "No fair! You have a Jagan!" she accused.

"I need a fairy drop," Hiei said, interrupting her tirade.

The small creature opened her mouth to reply, but clamped her sharp teeth on the fire demon's forearm, instead. Surprised, Hiei released his grip on her. She flitted a few feet away and stopped, turning back to face him. The koorime watched her carefully, allowing her to have her space, but ready to detain her if she tried to leave.

"It's not nice to grab someone and then ask for something," she scolded, his blood dribbling down her chin.

"Hn. It's in my nature," Hiei replied, not really in the mood to play word games with a creature less than half his size.

Suddenly, the fairy squealed, staring at the ground at his feet. Frowning, Hiei looked down. His pouch was on the ground, the strap broken, and one of the hirazuki gems had rolled out, glistening in the mud. He sensed rather than saw the fairy dive for the rare gem and quickly grabbed it, wiping the stone off before dropping it back into the pouch. It clinked softly as it hit the others and the fairy's eyes about bulged out of their sockets.

Noticing this, Hiei took his time examining the broken cord. _It must have snapped when she kicked it,_ he thought. He placed the pouch in his pocket, trying not to smirk as her pleading eyes jumped up to meet his.

"Could I, maybe, have one of those?" she asked, timidly.

"It's rude to bite someone and then ask for something," Hiei mocked.

"You grabbed me!" she protested. An impish smile formed on her face. "Besides, it's in my nature."

"Hn. How about a trade? One fairy drop for one hirazuki gem. It is hardly a fair trade, but I'm feeling generous today," he said, holding out one of the stones.

She paused, uncertain. "Well, uh, you see, um, oh forget it! I want that gem! Okay, I'll give you a fairy drop," she said, lunging for the hirazuki gem.

Hiei pulled his hand back, closing his fingers around the stone. "Not so fast. Give me the fairy drop first."

The fairy looked at him, a pained expression on her face. "But-- but-- oh, all right! I'll get the drop, but I'm not going to do it in front of you!" She looked around, spotting a bush and disappearing inside it. Hiei took a step towards it when her voice stopped him.

"No peeking, or the deal's off!" she yelled. Hiei caught a few mumbled words, obviously not meant for him "Oh, I can't believe I'm doing this... What would mother say...?"

Deciding it was better to trust her, Hiei waited. He circled the bush, not getting too close, but making sure he was close enough to stop her if she changed her mind and tried to escape. After a few minutes, she emerged, holding a small clear stone on a large leaf. It seemed to catch what little light there was around it and magnify it, almost making the stone look as though it was glowing.

Hiei took the leaf from her, absently handing her a hirazuki gem as he studied the clear stone intently. "You are sure this is a fairy drop?" he asked, his tone implying dire consequences for her, should she be lying.

"Of course I'm sure! And, um, could you stop staring at it? It's embarrassing," she said, looking at the ground.

Hiei glanced at her, noticing her cheeks were bright red and she was looking anywhere but at him. Suddenly, it clicked together in his mind. The bush, her privacy, her embarrassment at him looking at it-- he realized exactly what the fairy drop was. "Hn." _Some sort of fairy medicine. Riight._ Folding the leaf around the stone, Hiei placed it in his pocket and continued on. _All I have left to collect is the hiryuu's venom. There're still a few hours left before sunset, so I might be able to get the venom and be back in ningenkai tonight. Just hold on a little longer, Kurama._

Hiei heard the fairy's voice fading away as he ran. "Oh, man, this is so cool! I got an actual hirazuki gem! Laylia is going to be _sooooo_ jealous when I show her..."

. . .

Evening rolled around and still the rain did not let up. Having left the partial shelter of the trees an hour ago, Hiei didn't even bother trying to dry himself off, opting to save his energy. He traveled across a grassland, searching for a suitable place to spend the night. He doubted one would be found before he reached the foothills a few miles ahead, but he kept an eye out, anyway.

He was running past a large boulder when a tentacle shot out, trying to trip him. The koorime jumped over it, landing in a defensive position, facing his opponent. Hiei blinked, cursing himself for his lapse.

A large green head turned towards Hiei, small tentacles framing it and waving in a mockery of hair. The creature had no eyes, ears or anything else, only a large mouth in the center of its face, filled with sharp teeth. The head set on top of several larger tentacles, which served as legs.

"Malboro," Hiei said, looking at the creature. In the poor lighting, he had mistaken it for a boulder.

The malboro leaned its head back, drawing in a deep breath, before releasing it in Hiei's direction. The fire demon jumped, barely missing the poison breath that killed the grass where he had just been standing. Not about to lose its prey that easily, the malboro lashed out with its tentacles, managing to latch on to Hiei's leg as it drew in another breath. Wincing as the acid on the limb burned through his clothes, allowing the suction cups to cling to his skin, the koorime unsheathed his sword and sliced off the end of the tentacle, ignoring the pain caused as he ripped the remaining part from his leg. The creature shrieked in pain, pulling back momentarily to nurse its wound. Not giving it time to strike again, Hiei jumped towards it, impaling his sword in its head. The tentacles clutched at him, burning through his clothes and tearing at his skin. The fire apparition wrenched his sword free, brutally stabbing the creature again and again in an effort to impale its brain. Eventually, the malboro's struggles became weaker, before they ceased altogether.

Panting, Hiei wiped his sword on his pant leg and sheathed it before looking over his injuries. His clothes had sustained the most damage, hanging in tatters on his body, although he had more than a few burns, as well. Amazingly, the fairy drop was still in his pocket, as well as the three remaining vials he'd gotten from Fujio, but the pouch containing the hirazuki stones had fallen out sometime during the fray. Blood dripped sluggishly from several minor wounds caused by the suction cups being ripped off his skin. He allowed the rainwater to wash his wounds clean before continuing on. The wounds weren't severe enough to warrant immediate attention and he had wasted enough time by fighting the malboro.

It was almost completely black now, making it difficult to see even with Hiei's superior night vision. Cursing softly at the creature that had made him lose valuable time, the koorime hurried on, hoping to find suitable shelter a few miles ahead in the foothills.

About an hour later, Hiei stumbled across a cave. The entrance was well hidden and the koorime wouldn't have even found it had he not lost his footing on the slick rocks and slid down the hill, literally landing in the cave's mouth. After searching around a bit, he decided that it would be an ideal place to spend the night. It appeared to have been occupied by some creature very recently, but it seemed to be empty and that was what was important. Dirty, wet and tired, Hiei sat against one of the walls, removing the ward from his forehead. He would not leave himself completely unguarded. Making himself as comfortable as possible on the cold stone, he fell asleep.

. . .

Hiei awoke with a start, wondering what had disturbed him. He heard a low hissing, but before he could locate the source, his instincts kicked in and he found himself skidding to a stop across the cave, looking at a creature that had pounced on the spot he had just vacated. The monster turned towards him, allowing the fire demon to get a good look at his attacker. The upper body resembled a cross between a baboon and a lion. A mane of pink fur framed the blue ape-like face and it stood an all fours, clawed monkey-like hands supporting it. The back end resembled a lion, powerful legs bent as it readied for another pounce. The tail was actually made up of three snakes, all of which were hissing and straining to reach the fire demon.

Hiei allowed himself a mental sigh. _Of course. The cave I pick has to be inhabited by a nue. Stupid, territorial beasts. Fortunately, it's not mating season, so I only have to worry about the one,_ he thought, grabbing for the hilt of his katana. He was more than a little surprised when his hand closed around air. _What the?!_ he thought, looking down. His sword was not at his side. He glanced back to the spot he had been sitting. The hilt of his katana was poking out from beneath the nue's back foot. The torn remains of his belt was caught on a sharp rock beside it.

The creature growled, rearing up on its hind legs, trying to intimidate Hiei into leaving the cave. A quick glance informed the fire demon that it was still raining outside. _Figures,_ Hiei thought, jumping to the side as the nue pounced towards him again. He jumped for his sword, but the creature managed to grab his leg, biting down hard. Hiei bit back a cry of pain, instead kicking the nue in the eye. The creature dropped its prey, roaring, as it stepped back, pawing at its now useless eye. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hiei grabbed for his sword again, his hand closing around the hilt. He spun around, trying to draw his sword, but the nue's teeth closed around his right arm with the sword only part of the way out of the sheath. Pulling the sheath off with his left hand, he dropped it, grabbing the katana and plunging it into the nue's head, right between the eyes. The creature's jaw went slack, allowing Hiei to remove his arm before it collapsed, dead.

Kicking the cadaver off him, Hiei surveyed his injuries. The wards wrapped around his right arm were torn to shreds, blood seeping through the white material. _It is fortunate that I have learned to contain the power of the black dragon without the wards,_ he thought, ripping off the torn bandages. Removing his tattered cloak, he held it out of the cave's mouth, allowing it to soak up the rainwater. He cleaned the wounds, tearing the remains of his cloak into strips and using them as bandages. He moved the injured limbs, experimentally. He was pleased to find he could still run, although the injuries on his leg did hurt his speed. He lifted his katana, swinging it downward. He bit his lip as it unexpectedly hit the ground, the impact jarring his arm and causing him to lose his grasp. The weapon fell to the floor. Hiei looked at his shaking arm. _Blast. It looks like I'll have to use my left hand for a little while,_ he thought, sheathing his sword and placing it through his belt on the right side of his hip. He noticed that his belt had been ripped and it wouldn't take much to tear it completely. Walking over to the wall, Hiei picked up his other belt that had broken off, studying it. _This one's no good and the other one is about to break. I need more belts._

Glaring at the rain falling just outside of the cave entrance, Hiei decided it was much too early to continue searching for the hiryuu. Pointedly ignoring the carcass, Hiei sat on the opposite wall of the cave, glancing down at himself. _Kurama definitely owes me some new clothes,_ he thought, studying the poor state of his garments. Entertaining himself by imagining all the different things he'd make the kitsune buy him, Hiei fell asleep.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 6**

Hiei awoke, sensing something was different. He opened his eyes, looking around. The nue's corpse was where he had left it and he didn't see any other animals about to attack him. It was a few minutes before he realized it had stopped raining. In its place, there was a thick fog, drastically reducing visibility and giving the landscape a surreal appearance.

The fire koorime stretched, wincing as his arm and leg informed him this was not a good idea. He rubbed the tender areas, trying to work out some of the stiffness. After a few minutes, he stood, exiting the cave. Although the fog made it impossible to see the sun, Hiei was able to find where he had fallen the night before and figure out the direction he had been heading in. He took off running, limping slightly. His leg forced him to travel slower, but he guessed he would reach the mountain range within the hour.

The forest was eerily silent around him. He ignored it, attributing the stillness to the early hour. The only thing that could be heard was the faint rustle of the wind as it glided through the leaves, creating a haunting, almost musical sound. The song was soothing, causing the fire demon to slow his pace slightly so he could hear it more clearly. The forest seemed to be whispering to him. Hiei shook his head. _Great, now I'm listening to the plants. I've been spending too much time around Kurama,_ he thought, although he strained to hear the sounds.

The music seemed to become louder as he slowed down, finally coming to a stop. What was the hurry? He closed his eyes, smiling as the song played all around him, inviting him to join in. There was something familiar about this haunting noise, but the music clouded his mind, making it impossible to focus. Warning bells were going off in his head, but Hiei couldn't figure out why he should be worried, so he ignored them. After all, he was rather stressed due to the events of the past few days and the song was calming. What could possibly be wrong?

. . .

Kuwabara walked down the hall, entering Kurama's room. Yukina looked up at his approach. "Good morning, Kazuma-san," she greeted him.

"Hey, baby!" he replied, enthusiastically. He knelt opposite her on the other side of Kurama's futon, he face becoming serious as his eyes landed on his friend. Noticing Kurama's eyes were open, he addressed him. "How you feeling, dude?"

The redhead didn't reply, or give any indication that he had heard Kuwabara. Kurama's half-lidded eyes were gazing unseeingly at the ceiling. One might mistake him for dead, if it wasn't for the slight rise and fall of his chest with each breath he took. Kuwabara brought his hand up, waving it in front of Kurama's face. There was no response. The tall teen looked at Yukina questioningly.

The ice maiden shrugged her shoulders, helplessly. "He's been like that since this morning. Kazuma-san, I'm worried," she admitted, looking down at her hands.

"Don't worry, baby! He's probably just running a little low on energy. I, Kuwabara Kazuma, will give him some of my own energy, making him as good as new! Well, at least, as good as he was yesterday. I can't do anything about the poison-- that's the shrimp's job," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

Yukina looked at him, hopefully. Smiling confidently, Kuwabara placed his hands on Kurama's bare chest and closed his eyes, concentrating. There was pause before he frowned, scrunching his face up as he focused harder. After a few seconds he sat back, looking surprised and a little shocked.

"What? What is it?" Yukina asked, leaning forward. Although her voice was calm, her wide eyes betrayed the fear she felt.

"I can't give him any energy. He's-- he's rejecting it," Kuwabara said, confused.

Yukina glanced from Kuwabara to Kurama and back again. "This isn't good. I'll go fetch master Genkai!" she said, hurrying out of the room.

Kuwabara scrambled after her. "Hey, wait for me, baby!"

Left alone in the room, Kurama sighed, softly. _No more... I cannot take any more of this. I cannot do anything about them healing my body... but I will not allow them to give me any more energy. If they were truly my friends... they would not prolong my suffering like this. I wish to die... Just let me die..._ he pleaded mentally. His world consisted only of pain; there was nothing beyond that. The slightest movement shot fire along all his nerves, so he relaxed his entire body, refusing to move. Breathing was constant agony, but holding his breath caused his muscles to twitch, causing pain, and the gasping breaths and blinding agony that followed just weren't worth the short break. Yukina's touch, though gentle, was excruciatingly painful, so much so that he wished he would pass out, gaining a brief reprieve. Kuwabara wasn't as careful and it took all of Kurama's willpower to lay still and not make a sound, for that would only increase the pain exponentially. It had been a bit of a gamble, but he had been able to refuse the energy transfer and he knew it wouldn't be long before his body couldn't bear the strain anymore. Soon, he would be free of the pain. _I am sorry, Hiei... It would seem that I am unable to repay the debt I owe you... Please forgive me for breaking my promise..._ he thought, a single tear staining his cheek as his eyes closed, his consciousness slipping away into the darkness.

. . .

Hiei sat down, a broad grin covering his face. How could anyone not be happy in such a beautiful place as this? He felt something rub against his back, gently squeezing his shoulders. The koorime relaxed into the embrace, his mind at peace as the music lulled him.

A beeping disrupted the song, shattering the fog clouding his mind. Once again able to focus, it took Hiei's mind a few seconds to figure out what was going on. _That beeping...the communication mirror. But, why...? Kurama! I'm supposed to be getting the antidote! What am I doing here?!_ he thought, startled, looking around. The music, so calming before, now seemed loud and piercing. Hiei's mind, able to concentrate with the beeping continually interrupting the disabling song, informed him of why he should be worried. Where there was music such as this, there were one or more creatures to take advantage of the prey it rendered helpless.

Hiei gasped at an unexpected pain as something bit into his right shoulder. Some ludicrous part of his mind assured him that it was all right and this was supposed to happen, but Hiei ignored it, knowing this response was triggered by the music. He moved to grab his sword but found he was bound by vines. Knowing he didn't have much time before Botan decided to give up and call him later, he focused on the vines, trying to burn them. It was a little difficult with his attention divided as it was by the haunting music and the beeping, but he managed to free his left arm. Not wasting any time, Hiei grabbed his sword, plunging it through the head sitting on his shoulder blade. The remaining vines relaxed their hold as the head fell to the ground. The music began to fade as Hiei struggled out of the vines, looking on the ground behind him.

The creature appeared to be a science experiment gone wrong. The head and neck was that of a beautiful woman, Hiei's blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Below that, several vine-looking tentacles hung down, a few of them burned off, courtesy of Hiei. What appeared to be brown hair actually stretched out to form bat-like wings, allowing the creature to float at eye level to further entice some of its more difficult prey. "A shellbelle," he muttered.

Hiei turned away, the sight of his katana impaled in the creature causing emotions akin to that of killing a loved one. He knew it was just the remnants of the song, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to wait until he was completely free of the seducing music before retrieving his sword.

Noticing the beeping had stopped, he pulled out the communication mirror, flipping the lid open. Botan had given up trying to reach him, apparently, so he called her back.

It didn't take very long before a picture of Botan appeared on the screen. She looked a little relieved. "Hiei! When you didn't answer, I assumed the worst had happened to you! I was just about to call Koenma and see if anyone had brought you in!"

"Hn. I am in the Makai. You happened to call in the middle of a battle, so I was unable to answer," he replied, bending the truth a little bit. He would die before admitting to the ferry girl that she had saved his life.

"Oh, right! Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you," she apologized, hastily.

"It was a welcome distraction," Hiei muttered to himself.

"Pardon?"

"Never mind. I assume you had a reason for contacting me?" he asked, changing the subject.

Botan's face fell. "It's Kurama. He's not dead," she said hastily, seeing Hiei's expression. "But, I don't know how much longer he'll last. Kuwabara and Yuusuke have been taking turns giving him energy every day. But, today Kurama rejected it. They are going to keep trying, but..." she trailed off, bowing her head. "Please, Hiei, you've got to hurry!" she pleaded, her voice breaking.

"Hn." Hiei snapped the mirror shut with a loud _click_. He glared at the pink device. _Blast it, Kurama! I only have one thing left to get, and you decide to give up on me?!_ Angrily, Hiei wrenched his sword free of the shellbelle, cursing himself for getting distracted. Kurama had just moved up the timetable and every second counted.

. . .

By mid-morning, the fog had cleared, allowing the sun to shine down through the trees. Hiei paid special attention to the clearings he came to, knowing the hiryuu would most likely be basking in the sun. However, he still could not find the animal after which he sought.

Hiei was carefully making his way through the underbrush on an ill-used game trail, when he stopped, feeling uneasy. It felt as though he were being watched. He looked around, searching for anything that might be watching him. Casting his gaze up, he saw it; a large cat, about the size of a tiger, was crouching on a branch he was about to walk under. It was completely black, seemingly made up of shadows, with yellow eyes that stared hungrily at the fire demon. Flames danced along the tips of its ear and tail. Its eyes met Hiei's and it jumped, claws outstretched, towards the fire demon.

Hiei lunged to the side, trying to get out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough. The cat's paw caught his shoulder, knocking the koorime to the ground. Not having time to draw his sword, Hiei jerked up on the hilt, bashing the feline's nose. While the pain momentarily distracted it, the fire demon was able to get his good leg underneath it, kicking the creature off him. It twisted in mid-air, landing behind Hiei. He stood as quickly as his injuries would allow, looking for the cat. It seemed to have disappeared.

Hiei stood, sword in hand, as he scanned the area around him, warily. His shoulder throbbed and his leg was shaking, but he ignored these, focusing all his senses on finding the feline. He held perfectly still, waiting for the cat to strike.

Hiei heard a faint whisper of breath behind him, the only warning before the creature pounced on him again. Hiei was ready for it this time, thrusting his sword out behind him, wincing as the cat shrieked in his ear as it impaled itself on the sharp blade. He pushed the creature back, feeling its body slide off his katana before he turned to survey the carcass.

The cat twitched a few times, blood pouring out of the wound in its chest before it lay still, the body fading into smoke and drifting away. "A shadow cat. Where is your master, I wonder?" Hiei asked, softly, scanning the area around him for the panther demon that was sure to be nearby.

He waited for a few moments, tense. _Shadow cats aren't the most reliable of familiars. Let's hope that this one was working on its own. I don't have time to fight its master,_ he thought, continuing on his way.

The going was slow, yesterday's rain making the terrain very slippery. Loose rocks and mud worked against Hiei, causing him to lose his footing three times in the last hour, almost twisting his ankle once. His injured leg wasn't helping matters any, but the fire demon pushed on, not daring to sacrifice any more of his speed for caution. While he would be no good if he couldn't walk, he also didn't know how much longer Kurama could last without the antidote.

. . .

Yuusuke sank down against the wall, panting as he wiped sweat from his forehead. "Man! No matter how many times I obliterate them, they keep coming back! Usually it's not a problem, but I need time to rest in between attacks! I mean, two hours just doesn't cut it for the amount of energy I'm using out there!" he complained, pointing his thumb in the direction of the window.

"I know, Yuusuke," Genkai said, her voice unusually soft. She was kneeling next to Kurama's futon and she looked just as tired as her student. "And, I'm afraid it's going to be like this until either Hiei returns or Kurama's body can't sustain itself anymore and he dies."

"I can't just sit around doing nothing while Kurama is dying!" he yelled, slamming his fist down on the floor, angrily. The wood gave out beneath his hand, creating a small hole in the floorboards.

"Hiei is out there doing everything he can to find the antidote. You wouldn't have the first clue where to look and even if you had the list of ingredients, you still wouldn't know what you're looking for," Genkai replied, severely.

Yuusuke slumped back against the wall, fuming. He might not be able to argue with her logic, but he didn't have to like it.

Genkai's gaze softened. "You can help Kurama the best by either getting him to accept your energy or keeping the plants out of the temple. Preferably both, but if he's given up, I doubt you'll have any better luck giving him energy than you did earlier. If he didn't accept it then, it isn't likely that he'll accept it now," she said, wearily.

Neither one said a word for a few moments, the sound of Kurama's breath rattling in his throat the only noise breaking the silence. Finally, Yuusuke spoke, his voice soft. "I just-- I can't sit back and watch him die. I feel so helpless."

Genkai closed her eyes, sighing. "I know, Yuusuke. I know."

. . .

Around noon, Hiei stopped by a small stream. He took the makeshift bandages off his arm and leg, inspecting the wounds. Both were red and inflamed, as well as sore to the touch. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to move the fingers on his right hand. He rinsed out both the injuries and bandages as best as he could in the cool water, re-wrapping the wounds.

"Hn." _While annoying, it is not surprising that they are becoming infected. I don't even want to guess what type of bacteria my cloak picked up in the swamp. However, I don't have anything else to wrap them with and I don't have time to find a town and get supplies. They'll just have to wait,_ he thought, tying off the cloth around his leg. Kneeling on the ground, he cupped his left hand and drank from the stream, ignoring the hunger pangs in his stomach. With Kurama's life on the line, he didn't have time for luxuries such as food.

Having had a short break, Hiei stood and, limping slightly, continued the search. Not having so much as a game trail to follow, the fire demon used his sword to cut his way through the shrubbery. He cringed at how much the repeated use was probably dulling his sword, not mention how long it would take to clean all the plants' sap from the blade. Thrusting such trivial worries to the back of his mind, he continued hacking through the brush.

Coming to an unusually thick vine, Hiei cut it-- and jumped at the shriek of pain that followed. He watched as the vine withdrew, glancing over to see a large flower raise itself up from among the other plants. It was supported on three vine-legs, the fourth one that Hiei had cut was curled up, being held close to the bud. When it was high enough, the vines re-positioned themselves, allowing the flower to fall and hang upside down, revealing a set of eyes and a gaping, toothless mouth underneath the bud.

_A quaffid. Just what I needed,_ he thought, sarcastically. He jumped back as a vine swiped for him, barely missing him. He danced to the side as another vine came, trying to put some distance between himself and his opponent while not getting tangled in the plants that weren't attacking him. This proved impossible, the weeds twisting around his feet as he pivoted and tried to dodge another leg-like vine. The plants slowed his escape and the quaffid caught his right arm, eliciting a cry of pain from the fire demon as he was jerked through the air by the injured limb. Another vine came up and wrenched the katana from his grasp, dropping it on the ground. Hiei struggled as he was held in the air, dangling above the quaffid's head. The vine holding his arm released it, dropping him into the open mouth below. Pulling his sheath from his belt, the koorime rammed the dull point through the quaffid's eye as he fell. His boot touched briefly the acid-like saliva covered tongue before the plant reared back in pain. Although not a fatal wound, it did serve as an adequate distraction.

The fire demon fell out of the mouth, landing badly on his injured leg. It gave out and Hiei collapsed on the ground, narrowly missing one of the quaffid's flailing vines. The koorime rose to his feet, supporting himself against a tree as he looked around. He spotted his katana on the ground underneath the creature, just a few feet away. He dove for the weapon, fingers closing around the hilt as he rolled out of the way of the quaffid's leg. He rose to a kneeling position behind the creature, katana held out in front of him. The quaffid ignored him, roaring in pain and anger as it tried to remove the sheath from its eye.

Saliva was flying everywhere as the creature thrashed about, causing many plants to smoke as the acid burned through them. Standing somewhat shakily, Hiei limped away from the injured beast, trying to save himself from receiving more burns. _Add one sheath to the list of things Kurama is going to replace after this fiasco is over. Actually, that should please him. After all, he tried to replace that sheath before--_ Hiei jumped as the object of his thoughts was unexpectedly embedded in the tree to his left. He turned around, facing his opponent.

The quaffid had managed to pull the sheath out of its eye, but it seemed to be a fluke that it had almost brained Hiei when it tossed the scabbard away. The creature was currently turning its head from side to side, searching for Hiei. The plant's good eye landed on the fire demon and it roared again, quickly closing the gap between them.

Cursing softly, Hiei knelt on the ground, his back up against a tree. It wasn't the best defense, but he didn't have many other options. He raised his katana, warily watching the upside-down flower as it approached.

As soon as he was within range, the quaffid shot its vine-legs forward, intent on making a meal of the demon that had caused it so much pain. Light flashed off Hiei's katana as it moved, cutting off or at least injuring every part of the vines that came too close. He didn't move from his position, eliminating the problem of his feet getting tangled in the shrubbery and the tree at his back assured that the quaffid couldn't get him with a vine from behind.

It wasn't long before the quaffid gave up, limping away on shortened and oozing vines. Hiei waited until it was out of sight before standing, leaning against the tree behind him. He grabbed his sheath, yanking downward. It wasn't hard to pull out, but it was covered in a sticky yellowish-green colored slime. _That's just disgusting,_ he thought, holding the scabbard gingerly between two fingers. A bit of the goo dropped off of the sheath, landing on Hiei's boot. _I hate plants._ Leaning down, Hiei wiped as much of the gunk off on the weeds as he could, before inspecting it for any damage. Around the mouth of the sheath there was a small crack, spanning two inches along the length of the scabbard. Hiei swore, reluctantly replacing the defiled saya in his belt. _Definitely adding one sheath to the list,_ he thought, hacking through the underbrush as he continued on his way. He kept an eye out for larger-than-normal vines, not wanting to have another run-in with a second quaffid.

. . .

The day wore on, evening finding Hiei trudging over a rocky area. There weren't as many trees here, making it easier to see the surrounding area, although the abundance of boulders provided ideal hiding places, making a thorough search very difficult indeed. The terrain wasn't helping his injured leg in the slightest and Hiei half thought it would be faster for him to hop around on one leg.

He was walking along a long, almost log-shaped boulder when he heard a scraping noise, like scales moving over rocks. He froze, looking for the source of the noise. A large head seemed to spring at him from nowhere, fangs snapping down where Hiei had been standing seconds before. The fire demon had jumped back, crouching on the ground as he studied his opponent, ignoring the protests from his leg.

It was a large snake. The triangular head was easily as wide as Hiei's torso, uneven ridges making it look like a rock with eyes. It opened its mouth, green venom dripping from its fangs as it hissed at him. Its thick neck curved to the side, connecting to what Hiei had assumed to be a log-shaped boulder. Hearing another scrapping noise behind him, Hiei chanced a glance over his shoulder.

Before he could turn his head far enough, the snake in front of him attacked, forcing Hiei to fling himself out of the way. As the snake lunged for him again, Hiei stepped to the side, bringing his sword down hard on the snake's neck. The head separated from the body and the dead creature fell limply to the ground. Hearing the scraping again, this time almost directly behind him, Hiei tried to twist out of the way of a second snake. However, he wasn't fast enough and one of the fangs sunk deep into his left shoulder before breaking off. Almost immediately, the pain caused by the wound faded as his shoulder start to go numb.

The second snake looked almost exactly like the first. It reared back, hissing in pain as it drew itself up to its full height. Hiei was surprised to see the snake he had just killed hanging limply from where the two necks merged into one. Looking closely, Hiei saw wings folded along its back. He had found a hiryuu. _Small? Small?! What was Fujio comparing it to, a mountain?! Although, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised with a name like 'flying dragon,' but... Skinning him alive is too quick-- the next time I see Fujio, I'm going to gut him and string him up by his innards!_ Hiei thought viciously, as he readied himself for the attack.

With growing alarm, Hiei realized he was losing feeling in his left arm. Already the grip on his sword was weak, at best. He clutched the weapon in both hands, his right grip not much better than his left. Grimly, he waited for the hiryuu to strike, knowing he would only get one chance at this.

The snake obliged him, diving for the fire demon with its mouth open, apparently meaning to swallow him whole. Hiei waited until the hiryuu was practically on top of him before thrusting the sword up. He clung to the hilt desperately as the snake's forward momentum drove the weapon into its brain, killing it. The hiryuu fell, its forward momentum ripping the sword out of Hiei's weakened grasp as it hit the ground, skidding across the rocks. An audible _snap_ was heard as it caught on various rocks before finally coming to a stop about fifteen feet away. Having been caught underneath it, Hiei groaned as he tried to push it off him, feeling warm blood drip from several places where the rocks had gouged him. Once he was free of the body, he reached into his pocket, feeling for the vials. One had shattered but the other two were, amazingly, still intact. Somewhat jerkily, Hiei uncorked one of the bottles, filling it with the milky venom dipping out of the fang. He replaced the stopper, studying the white liquid inside the bottle. With a jolt, he realized the venom he'd seen dripping out of the other head's fangs was green.

Quickly making his way back to the severed head, Hiei broke off one of the fangs. Green liquid oozed out of the hollow tooth. _Two heads, two different poisons. Sure, why not?_ he thought, sarcastically. Quickly, Hiei pulled out the second vial, almost dropping it as the numbing poison continued to spread along his arm. _Well, the instructions I received from Shimogoe make a lot more sense now,_ he thought, shaking as much broken glass from his pocket as he could before replacing the two vials inside it. _I finally have all the ingredients. But, am I in time to save Kurama?_

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 7**

The sun began to sink below the horizon, lighter shades of red and orange streaking the sky. Hiei stared unseeingly at the sunset, the dead hiryuu laid out on the ground around him. _It took much longer than I had anticipated to collect everything,_ he thought, going over to the head that was still connected to the body and pushing it over so he could reach his sword. Surprisingly, the katana was not there. Looking back along the skid mark left by the large creature, Hiei saw the weapon. He limped over to it slowly, his entire body aching from the abuse he had put it through. He cursed as he drew nearer the sword. Apparently, the hilt had caught on something, snapping the blade off five or six inches from the base. The weapon was useless.

Spotting the scabbard a few feet away, he placed the sword in its sheath anyway, noting his belt was missing, as well. He sighed, tiredly, slipping the saya through his belt loop out of habit more than anything else. The sword hung at an odd angle and was all but useless in its condition, but Hiei felt naked without it at his side. _It will take too long to run all the way back to Kurama's lair to retrieve the rest of the items. But, what other choice is there?_ he wondered, feeling in his pocket to make sure he still had the fairy drop. His fingers found the now brittle leaf, but brushed against something else, as well. Closing his hand around the second object, Hiei pulled out the communication mirror. He stared at it for a few seconds, debating what to do. _As much as I'd rather not rely on anyone else, I don't have a choice. Botan can transport me faster than I can travel at this point,_ he thought, flipping open the lid and calling the ferry girl.

Botan answered almost immediately. She opened her mouth, but Hiei spoke before she could. "I need you to come and pick me up," he said, tersely. Oh, how hard it was to utter those words! "I'm in the Sekiryou Mountains."

A look of surprise crossed Botan's face, but she nodded, breaking the connection. It was only a minute or two before the ferry girl landed next to him, wide eyes staring at the dead hiryuu. Hiei thought it almost comical how her eyes widened even further as she looked at him.

His shirt was torn to the point of barely hanging on his body and his pants weren't much better. Black strips of cloth, all that remained of his cloak, were tied around his right arm and leg and he was covered in dirt and blood. Several wounds that were visible through the holes in his shirt were still bleeding, sluggishly. Noticing her eyes staring pointedly at his left shoulder, Hiei looked down. Two inches of the fang still embedded there was visible. Wincing as he raised his right arm, he grabbed it and pulled it out, tossing it away from him. Looking back at the ferry girl, he was surprised to see that she had closed the gap between them and was already starting to heal him.

"Don't use all of your energy," he warned.

"I realize time is of the essence, but I'm not going to just stand by and let you bleed to death! At least, let me close the wounds, all right?! We can't lose you, too!" she said, angrily, although she was rapidly blinking back tears.

Hiei resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't need her to tell him how badly he was injured. Besides, she was overreacting. None of his wounds, though painful, were fatal. The infections could become a problem, but even they could wait. "Can you open a portal to a different part of Makai?" Hiei asked, ignoring her lecture.

"Yes," she replied, not looking up. "I can open a portal to pretty much anywhere in the three worlds. Why?"

"I need you to take me to the forest just east of the northern part of the Kinmotsu Marshes," he said.

"Why do you need to go there?" Botan asked.

"That's where I left the rest of the items," he said, simply.

They were both silent for a few minutes more before Hiei angrily pushed her hands away. "Alright, you've stopped the bleeding and we've wasted enough time. Let's go."

Although looking as though she might argue for a few seconds, Botan finally nodded, mounting her oar. Hiei sat behind her, gingerly putting his right arm around her waist. He bit his lip in pain as he was forced to tighten his grip when she took off.

Botan opened a portal and flew through it. Coming out on the other side, she hovered, waiting for Hiei's directions. He looked around, getting his bearings. "Head north, following that stream until you come to a waterfall," he instructed, not daring to remove his arm from her waist long enough to point. They were very high up and he wasn't exactly feeling acrobatic right now.

She did as she was told, flying as fast as she could. Spotting the waterfall, she dove, landing next to the crystal water. Hiei dismounted, his left leg almost giving out on him before he caught himself. _The hiryuu's venom is still spreading-- it figures that the leg that **doesn't** have an infection is the one that's going numb! I need to retrieve the rest of the ingredients quickly, while I can still walk!_ he thought. Aloud, he said, "I'm going to go get the items. Stay here until I get back."

"Now just a minute, Hiei! Why don't you just tell me where to go and I'll take you there? It'll be a lot faster," Botan argued.

"No. I have them hidden in a secret place and I wish it to remain that way," he replied, walking carefully towards the trees.

"I can't believe you! Kurama's life is at stake and you're worried about someone finding out about your secret hiding place?!" Botan practically yelled, incredulous. She followed him, determined to help whether he liked it or not.

He stopped her cold with a glare. "It is because of the kitsune that I refuse to show you where it is," Hiei replied. _I will not reveal the location of one of his dens._

"Look, Hiei, I promise I won't tell Kurama about your hiding place. He rarely comes to Makai, anyway," Botan argued, exasperated.

"Hn." _Shows what you know._ "We're wasting time," he pointed out.

Botan opened her mouth to reply, but Hiei had disappeared into the trees. Mentally raging about selfish fire demons, she paced back and forth on the bank, waiting for him to come back.

It wasn't more than a few minutes before Hiei returned, limping slowly towards the waterfall. He clutched a bag in his right arm, being extra careful not to jostle it too much. His left arm swung limply at his side. Botan mounted her oar, flying over to meet him.

"Can you fly with one arm?" he asked, panting.

"Yes, I--" she started, only to be cut off as Hiei shoved the bag into her arms.

"Good. Be careful with that-- you really don't want to break anything that's inside," he cautioned. Hobbling past her, Hiei plunked down on the oar, his left leg almost completely numb. _Perfect. I can't stand for very long on my injured leg and pretty soon I won't be able to stand at all. I didn't realize I had gotten that much poison in my system. It should wear off in a few hours, but in the mean time... I'll have to have someone help me,_ he thought, ruefully. He hissed softly as he slid his right arm around Botan's waist, signaling he was ready.

Gingerly holding her new burden, the ferry girl flew into the air, opening a portal and exiting the Makai.

. . .

Genkai, Yuusuke, Kuwabara and Yukina were sitting in Kurama's room, resting after the most recent attack. Yukina cocked her head to the side, listening. Pretty soon, everyone else in the room could hear the voices that were steadily growing closer.

"Leave. Me. Alone."

"Quit being so stubborn! Just let me help you--"

"I don't require your assistance! I can walk by myself!"

"Honestly, Hiei! You're barely managing to remain upright as it is!"

"Even if I did need help, you wouldn't be able to do so. You are holding a bag containing very fragile items vital to Kurama's survival. It took me five days to get everything and I do _not_ want to have to replace anything you accidentally break!"

"I'll be careful. Just let me help me you!"

"No."

"Hiei!"

"Hn."

Four heads looked up and four pairs of eyes widened as Hiei hobbled into Kurama's room, closely followed by Botan. The fire demon was using his sheath as a cane, almost dragging his left leg behind him. The pain was visible on his face with every step he took and it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to remain standing for much longer.

"Man, Hiei! What happened to you?!" Yuusuke asked, openly staring at the fire koorime's disheveled appearance. "You look like you got in a fight with Toguro and lost!"

Hiei ignored everyone, making his way to Kurama's futon. _His energy is so weak. I'm surprised he's still alive._ "He hasn't received any energy since yesterday?" he asked, looking at Genkai.

The psychic nodded. "We tried to give him energy today. He has rejected it from all of us," she said, gesturing to Kuwabara and Yuusuke.

"Hn." Hissing softly as he sat down, Hiei set his sheath beside him before placing his hand on Kurama's chest. He flinched involuntarily as the sweat burned his fingers; but he ignored the pain, pressing his hand firmly against the redhead's skin. He closed his eyes, concentrating as he tried to give the kitsune some of his energy. The fox seemed reluctant at first, but then the barriers dropped slightly, allowing a bit of energy to flow past.

"He's doing it," Kuwabara said, his rough voice breaking the silence that had descended upon the room.

As soon as the words had left the tall teen's mouth, Kurama's barriers snapped back into place, closing himself off from any more energy. Hiei concentrated hard, trying to coax the fox into accepting more, but the kitsune refused. Deciding to try a different tactic, the fire koorime forced his way into the kitsune's mind, hoping to be able to reason with Kurama's subconscious. Immediately, Hiei was assaulted with pain beyond anything he had ever experienced before. He cried out involuntarily at the intensity of it, momentarily losing himself within the agony. Something threw him back, breaking the connection.

The next thing Hiei knew, he was lying on his back, breathing hard. It took his mind a few seconds to realize what had happened. _That is what Kurama is feeling-- the reason he couldn't keep his promise to me. I didn't realize how bad it was. He must have forced me out of his mind._ Hiei shuddered. _That pain was worse than when I received the Jagan,_ he thought.

"That didn't happen when I tried it," Kuwabara said.

"You also didn't get Kurama to take any of your energy," Yuusuke replied. "Not sure why there was a backlash like that, though..."

For the first time, Hiei noticed everyone was gathered on the floor around him. Yuusuke waved his hand in front of the fire demon's face. "Yo, Hiei!"

The fire koorime glared at the ningen teen. "What?!" he demanded, angrily. He did not like showing weakness in front of anyone.

Yuusuke rolled his eyes. "He's just fine, guys," he said, a little sarcastically.

As everyone backed off, Hiei painfully pushed himself into a sitting position, checking Kurama's energy again. The small amount of energy he'd managed to give the redhead had strengthened him, buying them some more time. Hiei looked at his right hand, opening and closing it a few times. The fingers and palm were a little red from the burns; but, although moving it was a bit painful, he could still use his hand. He picked up his sheath and began struggling to his feet. He sensed more than felt someone grab his left arm. "I said, I don't need any--" he stopped himself as he saw who it was.

Yukina looked at him, pleadingly. "You're badly injured, Hiei. Please allow me to heal your leg, at least," she pleaded.

"It's an infection. You can't do anything about it," he said, mentally cringing at his rude tone of voice.

Yuusuke's eyes widened at the fire demon's admission. _Hiei let one of his wounds get infected? And it must be a pretty bad infection if it's affecting him that much. He didn't even take time to tend to his own wounds while he was looking for the stuff. It is important to help Kurama quickly, but I can't help but wonder how many other wounds he has that he's not telling us about? After all, I've never seen Hiei injured this badly before..._ his thought trailed off as he studied the fire koorime intently.

"What about your left leg?" Yukina asked.

"Paralyzing venom. It'll wear off in a few hours."

"Oh. Well, will you at least let me help you walk to another room?" Yukina asked, large crimson eyes staring into his.

He looked away. "Fine. I need you to assist me in creating the antidote, anyway," he said, trying not to lean too heavily on Yukina as she helped him from the room.

The ice maiden looked at Genkai as they passed her. The psychic nodded her approval. "If I need your help, I'll come get you," the old woman said.

"He's trying to steal my Yukina away from me, I just know it!" Kuwabara mumbled, miserably. Everyone ignored him.

Botan followed the twins out of the room, still carrying the bag with all the ingredients.

The ice koorime supported Hiei as they walked slowly to the kitchen. Botan set the bag down inside the door before leaving to retrieve the ea-sakusei.

Yukina helped the fire demon sit down on a mat before his leg gave out completely. She bit her lip as she pulled the low table over to him before retrieving the bag from where Botan had left it on the floor. Placing the bag on the table, she grabbed a large bowl from the cupboard before kneeling on a mat opposite Hiei. "What would you like me to do?"

"Start pulling all the vials out of the bag and line them up on the table. I don't want to have to fish through the bag every time I need something else," he instructed, watching her carefully.

She did as she was told, carefully reaching into the bag and pulling out a vial, holding it with the tips of her fingers as she set it on the table. Hiei flinched as he reached up and caught her hand, turning it over. Her fingers and palms were covered in blisters. He met her eyes, questioningly.

"Oh, these are just from Kurama's sweat. The continual burns have been accumulating and haven't had enough time to heal in between the attacks. It isn't serious, so I didn't want to bother Genkai or Botan with it..." she trailed off, avoiding Hiei's eyes.

The fire koorime shook his head, laying her hand palm up on the table. "Hold still," he commanded, placing his hand over hers. He stared at it for a few seconds, his brow furrowing in concentration. Yukina opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when a soft green light enveloped her hand. She gasped as she felt the blisters shrinking and fading as they were healed.

Hiei looked up at her. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No, it's just-- I didn't know you had healing powers," Yukina replied, looking at Hiei strangely.

He avoided her eyes, gritting his teeth as he reached for her other hand, placing it on the table. "It's something I inherited from my mother. I've rarely had the occasion to practice them, so my skills are meager, at best. Actually, this is only the second time I've ever used them," Hiei explained, healing her other hand. _Please don't ask any questions I cannot answer,_ he pleaded mentally.

Yukina nodded. "My mother was also a healer. She taught me everything I know," she said.

"Is that so?" Hiei asked, a twinge of remorse shooting through him. He shook off the feeling. "We'd better get started," he said, gesturing to the bag.

"Oh! Right. Sorry," Yukina said, blushing slightly in shame.

Hiei shook his head. "Don't apologize." He read the names on the vials as she set them on the table, looking for the one he needed first. His senses reached out to the only other occupied room in the temple, feeling the kitsune's feeble energy. _Please hold on just a little longer, Kurama..._

. . .

Morning dawned, bright and merry. The sky was clear, the birds chirped cheerfully in their nests--

"Rei Gun!"

-- and a beam of light obliterated both birds and the tree they were sitting in. Yuusuke stood, holding his hand in the shape of a gun, breathing heavily.

"I think...that's the last...of them," Kuwabara wheezed, walking over to his friend. Together, the two tired ningen made their way back into the temple.

"Man, Hiei had better hurry it up-- I didn't get more than two hours of sleep last night. And having to fight off plants every two or three hours-- I'm beat!" Yuusuke complained.

"Yeah, what's taking the shrimp so long, anyway?" Kuwabara chimed in, never missing an opportunity to insult the fire demon.

"It happens to be a delicate process, not that I would expect either of you to understand that. One wrong step and it would be fatal to the kitsune."

The teenagers turned around. Hiei was standing behind them, holding a steaming cup. He had apparently regained the use of his left arm and leg, although it looked like he had traded his energy for them. His shoulders were sagging and his back was slightly bent, as if he was remaining standing by force of sheer will alone. The dark circles under his tired eyes testified to his sleepless night. He mustered enough energy to glare at them as they stopped walking.

"I would appreciate it if you would move your carcasses out of my way. You're blocking the hall and I need to get through," he said. His voice was tired, lacking its usual insulting tone.

Yuusuke stepped to the side, laying a restraining hand on Kuwabara's arm as the orange-haired boy opened his mouth to retort. Hiei walked past them without a backward glance.

Genkai looked up as Hiei entered the room, Yuusuke and Kuwabara trailing behind him. "I take it that's the antidote? Where's Yukina?" she asked, looking at the fire demon.

"Asleep. I let her get some rest after the poison wore off. And yes, this is the antidote," he replied, gesturing to the cup.

"Good. I--" Genkai paused. She leaned closer to the cup, sniffing delicately. "Is there black altheas in this?" she asked.

Hiei thought back over the list. "The roots, yes. Why?"

Genkai closed her eyes, pensively. "One of the side effects of that plant is making nerve endings extremely sensitive. This is a strong poison and it's attacking Kurama's body directly. Once he has the antidote..."

"It will begin attacking and destroying the poison, causing Kurama's sensitized nerves as much pain, if not more, than the poison did by itself," Hiei continued.

"And, even though it is no longer attacking Kurama's body, I don't know if he can withstand that in his weakened state," Genkai finished.

Hiei was silent for a moment. "I'll act as his support," he said, resolutely.

Genkai looked at him critically. "You might be able to help with your Jagan, but you don't have much more energy than he does, at this point. Not even your evil eye will be able to save you if he dies with you inside his mind," she warned.

Hiei returned her gaze, coolly. "I am well aware of my limitations, both for myself and my Jagan," he replied, icily.

Genkai shrugged, indifferent. "Suit yourself. Come on, you two," she said, walking past Yuusuke and Kuwabara.

Yuusuke looked confused. "Uh, I didn't understand most of that. Can anyone tell me what's going on?"

"You two are going to help me outside," Genkai replied, not turning around.

"Outside? What do you need us to do outside?" Kuwabara asked, just as confused as Yuusuke.

"If I'm correct, we are about to experience the largest wave of plants that we've had yet. And I need you two to come outside and help me keep them from this room," she replied.

"What?! You've got to be kidding! We just finished fighting the stupid plants! Don't we get a break?!" Yuusuke yelled.

Genkai looked at him coldly. "The best time to administer the antidote is when his body is the strongest. His demon form will be even more sensitive than his ningen form, so it is best to do it now while he is still completely human," she explained. Yuusuke and Kuwabara looked at her, blankly. "Forget it. Just come on."

Grumbling, Yuusuke and Kuwabara followed Genkai out of the room. Hiei stood at the window, waiting until he could see them in the courtyard below. Turning back from the window, he knelt next to Kurama's futon.

_Please forgive me for what I am about to do,_ he thought, looking at Kurama sadly. _Just know that you will not go through it alone._

Tilting the teen's head back, Hiei poured the remedy into his mouth, massaging his neck muscles to make Kurama swallow reflexively. He repeated this procedure until the kitsune had drank the entire cup. Kurama's breathing quickened and he moaned, tossing his head from side to side.

Sitting down on the floor next to the redhead, Hiei grasped Kurama's wrist tightly. _I'm sorry...my friend._ Preparing himself for the excruciating torture that was to follow, Hiei closed his eyes and entered Kurama's mind.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing of importance in this story.

**Chapter 8**

Although Hiei had prepared himself, it was like jumping into an icy lake-- he knew what to expect, but the shock of such an intense sensation took his breath away. The pain came crashed down on him, threatening to overwhelm him. He fell forward, his right arm supporting him while his left hand tightly clutched Kurama's wrist. His entire body was shaking with the agony. _I can deal with this... To help Kurama, I can withstand a little pain..._ he thought, defiantly establishing a firm link between his and Kurama's minds.

Somewhere beyond the anguish, he felt Kurama's presence pushing him, trying to force him out and away from the torturous pain. Hiei clutched Kurama's arm tighter than before, refusing to leave his friend to deal with this alone. By linking their minds, the pain was shared between them, increasing the fox's chances of making it through this alive. The only draw back was, it also increased Hiei's chances of not making it out at all.

The agony seemed to be increasing, a feat Hiei had previously thought impossible. Belatedly, the fire demon realized that the antidote must have started to take effect and it was only going to get worse. Kurama's body jerked beneath his hand a fraction of a second before the pain hit Hiei, drawing him in. Instinctively, he blocked it, reflexively clinging to his mind with the Jagan acting as a shield against the agony. Kurama cried out as the pain was repelled, the rebound hitting him full-force.

Hiei cursed. _I can't take some of the pain from Kurama if I block it out-- I'll only end up making it worse for him, instead. That means, I..._ Resolutely, Hiei clenched his jaw, trying to prepare himself. Taking a shuddering breath, he mentally let go, immersing himself more deeply in Kurama's mind as he surrendered himself to the pain.

. . .

Yukina woke, feeling that something wasn't right. She looked around, disoriented. "What am I doing in the kitchen...?" she wondered, trying to make her tired mind focus. The events of the previous night came back to her and she jumped up. "Kurama!"

Running from the kitchen, Yukina hurried to his room, bursting through the door. She gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight before her. The redhead was thrashing around on his futon, obviously in excruciating pain and gasping for air. He almost seemed to be trying to distance himself from Hiei. The fire demon was kneeling on the floor next to him, his rigid body shaking almost convulsively. He had a death grip on Kurama's arm and, although his eyes were open, he did not seem to be aware of anything around him. The fire demon's grip seemed to tighten every time the redhead pulled away, refusing to let him leave. The Jagan eye on his forehead was pulsing, as if it was enduring some form of torture, as well.

Spotting a discarded cup on the ground behind Hiei, Yukina figured out what was happening. _It must be the antidote. I-- I can't do anything to help them,_ she realized, helpless to do anything but watch.

A bit of movement on the edge of her vision caught her eye and Yukina looked up, spotting a tree branch that had entered through the window. The leaves pulled the branch closer to the vulnerable fire demon, raising one of the sharpened ends as if to impale him. Immediately, the entire branch froze, taking on a bluish sheen that sparkled in the light.

Yukina stood, an emotionless mask falling into place over her features. _I may not be able to heal them right now,_ she thought, looking at the now frozen branch, coldly. _But I will **not** stand by while the plants attack Hiei! He must be helping Kurama by trying to alleviate some of the pain. That's dangerous, because if Kurama dies--_ Her chest constricted painfully at the thought of losing Hiei. She shook her head firmly. _No! They will both live! They have to!_

A vine slithered in through the doorway, quickly trying to sneak behind the ice maiden. It was frozen before it got more than two feet into the room.

Yukina stood, using all her senses to detect the plants before they were able to get too close. _I will protect you. Just as you have both protected me. I swear it,_ she vowed silently.

. . .

Kuwabara hit the plants with his Spirit Sword, cutting them up. He attacked a tree, slicing off as many branches as he could. Genkai watched one of the limbs fly through the air, cursing as it landed on the windowsill of Kurama's room. Quickly dispatching the plants in front of her, she started to run for the building, stopping as she felt Yukina's aura increase inside. Allowing herself a small smile, she turned back to the fight. _It would seem Yukina is freezing any plants that make it to the room. Good. Hiei might have a chance at surviving this, after all._

. . .

Pain. There was nothing beyond the pain, nothing before it and nothing after it. There was nothing else except pain. How long Hiei had been experiencing it, he wasn't sure. Seconds, minutes, hours-- it all ran together, blurred by the pain. His entire body felt extremely sore and sensitive, causing the slightest twitch of a muscle to hurt. The unconscious kitsune thrashed around, instinctively trying to escape from the torment, which only intensified it exponentially. Hiei's body jerked with Kurama's, the fire demon no longer having the strength to stifle his body's natural reactions to the agony.

Without warning, every nerve seemed to explode, bringing with it a whole new realm of torture. The fire demon's breath caught in his throat, his entire body becoming rigid, although he was trembling uncontrollably. There were a few seconds of excruciating anguish before Hiei's restraints broke. He couldn't take any more. Throwing back his head, Hiei screamed, finally giving voice to the torturous pain consuming him.

. . .

Outside, the fight was not going too well. Severely out-numbered and significantly weakened, it had been a long, hard battle. Kuwabara had been blind-sided by a tree and knocked out, forcing Yuusuke and Genkai to spread out even further, covering his side. Despite all their efforts, more than a few plants had gotten past them and into the temple. Not having energy to spare, Genkai could only hope that Yukina had been able to take care of them.

Everything, even the plants, in the courtyard froze as a blood-curdling shriek rent the air. The animalistic cry of pain seemed to reverberate off the temple walls, growing louder as a second voice joined in. Although the voices themselves were unidentifiable, there were only two people to whom they could belong. The two remaining fighters in the courtyard knew this did not bode well for their friends. With renewed vigor and more than a little desperation, they redoubled their efforts and continued on, plowing through the greenery of which there seemed to be no end.

. . .

Yukina jumped as her charges screamed behind her. The sound almost broke her heart and it took all her willpower to keep from turning around. There was nothing she could do for them and it would only be a distraction. So, she ignored it, resisting the urge to cover her ears as tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the floor.

. . .

Genkai looked around, wearily. She had no idea how much time had passed since Hiei had given Kurama the antidote, but it seemed that the barrage of plants was finally over. Slowly, she made her way over to the temple, sinking down against one of the posts. _I'm too old for this,_ she thought, bringing up her legs and resting her forehead on her knees, trying to bring her breathing under control. She knew she should go check on Hiei and Kurama, as she couldn't sense either of them, but she was too tired to rouse herself. _I'll get up in a minute,_ she thought, closing her eyes.

Yuusuke punched a flower, angling his body and letting gravity do the work rather than put any force behind it. Shaking the pollen off his hand, he looked around, searching for more greenery. Realizing there were no more plants, the black-haired teen collapsed, too tired to do anything more than lie on the ground, panting.

Inside Kurama's room, the temperature had lowered drastically. The doorway and window were filled with various frozen plants, blocking off the only exits from the room. Yukina stood, her breathing a little heavier than normal, as she surveyed the plants. She cocked her head to the side, listening intently for sounds of fighting outside. With a jolt, she realized that not only had the fighting stopped, but also there was no noise coming from either Kurama or Hiei. Apprehensively, she looked behind her. Kurama had kicked his blankets off although he had somehow managed to stay on his futon, despite his thrashing. Hiei was lying face down on the floor beside him, still clutching the redhead's wrist. Both were completely still.

Yukina's breath caught in her throat as she rushed over, gently easing Hiei onto his back. Her heart pounded in her chest as she leaned over him, her cheek resting just above his mouth. She placed her other hand on his chest. His skin was cool to the touch, but she gave a choked laugh as she felt his chest rise, his breath scarcely ruffling her hair as he exhaled. She smiled, relief flooding through her as she pushed some of the sweat-damp hair off of his face.

She moved on to Kurama, placing her fingers against his neck. His skin was a little colder than Hiei's and his heartbeat was faint, but he was alive. His chest rose slightly, his shallow breath barely misting in the frigid air.

Yukina sat between the two for a minute or so, relishing the fact that they had both survived and would recover. Belatedly, she realized that she would need another futon for Hiei, as it didn't look like he planned on waking up anytime in the near future. Waving her arm, she caused the frozen plants to shatter, clearing the window and doorway. A warm breeze wafted through the room, brushing Yukina's cheek and making her realize exactly why Hiei and Kurama were so cold to the touch. _I shouldn't have let the temperature drop this far! Not only is it bad for Kurama's human body, but Hiei is a fire demon! His body temperature needs to be kept even higher than Kurama's! How could I have let this happen?! I could have killed them both!_ she berated herself, hurrying out into the hall. She stopped short, realizing something. _Hiei. When I realized they weren't moving, my immediate concern was for Hiei. I should have checked Kurama first, but... It's strange. I barely know him, yet...I love him. Not as a mate, but it is definitely more than a friend. Why do I feel this way...?_ She shook her head, continuing down the hall. _It doesn't matter, I can ponder it later. Right now, I have people that need me to take care of them._

Retrieving a futon and several extra blankets from one of the other rooms, Yukina laid the bed out on the floor next to the redhead, managing to pull Hiei onto it and covering them both with numerous blankets. Despite her best efforts, she could not remove the fire demon's hand from Kurama's arm.

After making Hiei and Kurama as comfortable as possible, Yukina realized that she hadn't seen anyone else. Hurrying outside, she spotted Genkai leaning against one of the posts on the porch. "Master Genkai?" she asked, tentatively.

Genkai raised her head, half-lidded eyes gazing up at Yukina. "How are they?"

"They're both unconscious, but fine other than that," she informed her, beaming.

The older psychic managed a small smile. "Glad to hear that. Could you help me inside? I'm not as young as I used to be."

Yukina helped Genkai up and supported her as they walked to her room. The ice maiden laid out the futon and Genkai sank onto it, not even bothering to change. "You're probably going to be the only one awake for a while. You can either help Yuusuke inside or cover him with a blanket-- I doubt he'll know the difference. No one was badly wounded, so if you have any energy left, I think now would be a good time to heal some of Hiei's injuries. Although, don't drain yourself too much. The Dimwit destroyed most of the wards around the temple, so we're pretty much open to attack from any demon that happens to be wandering by. I would stick to herbal remedies until Yuusuke or I wake up," Genkai instructed, closing her eyes.

Yukina nodded, leaving the room to tend to the others in the courtyard.

. . .

Murmured voices drifted through his mind, a word here and there making sense, but most of it slipping away as though it was a foreign language. The blackness, so warm and comforting, was receding and gradually being replaced with darker shades of orange as light filtered through his eyelids. His entire body felt heavy, as if it were made of lead, and extremely sore. Even if he had had enough strength to attempt it, moving did not sound like a good idea. The voices seemed to become louder and, although he was still having trouble focusing on the words, he could identify the speakers. _Yukina... Genkai..._ The strong smell of disinfecting antibiotics assaulted his nose, pushing him closer to consciousness. His mind began to clear a little, the words becoming comprehensible.

"...held on tight," Genkai was saying.

"Yes, Kurama was trying to pull away, but Hiei refused to let him go," Yukina said. He vaguely registered that someone's hand was on his arm, pulling it.

"The shrimp's got a good grip, I'll give him that. We'll need a crowbar to get his hand off." _Kuwabara's here, as well,_ he thought. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he opened his eyes. He squinted, blinking a few times until his eyes adjusted to the light, before glancing around. The room seemed to be moving, but he could make out Yukina sitting directly on his left before he had to close his eyes as nausea gripped his stomach. It settled after a few seconds and he chanced opening his eyes again, keeping them half-lidded. Genkai and Kuwabara weren't in his immediate line of sight, although the room was still tilting a bit. He briefly considered turning his head, but quickly discounted the idea. His head felt as heavy as the rest of his body and he had the oddest notion that if he tried to move, it would fall off. He settled for listening to the conversation instead.

"...hiryuu's venom?" Yukina was saying.

"I didn't want to, but it doesn't seem like we have any other choice. You're sure you know which one it is? Hiei really doesn't need any more poison in his system, right now," Genkai replied.

"Yes, I thought it might be useful, so he said I could keep it."

"Alright, but only a little bit. We need to relax his hand to the point we can pry his fingers off, not numb the entire limb."

The hand was removed from his arm and he saw Yukina pull something out of her pocket. It looked like a small vial containing some sort of milky liquid. She uncorked it, leaning forward and out of his line of sight. _What's going on?_ he wondered, confused. He considered voicing his question, but figured it would be easier to wait and find out. He didn't feel like doing anything more than going back to sleep, but his curiosity kept his eyes open, looking for answers.

Presently, he felt an unpleasant tingling in his hand as circulation was restored. Yukina sat back, rubbing the swollen fingers to get the blood flowing through them again. She jumped as her eyes met his. "Kurama! You're awake!"

He managed a weak smile as Genkai's and Kuwabara's heads also came into view. "How are you feeling, dude?" Kuwabara asked.

"Weak," Kurama managed to say, his voice raspy. "Tired."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Kuwabara replied.

He figured that since he had their attention he might as well get some answers. "Happened?" he asked, his voice little louder than a whisper.

"Hiei brought back all of the ingredients for the antidote last night and it was given to you this morning," Genkai explained. "You've been asleep all day."

"Hiei?" he repeated, softly. _I vaguely recall sensing him before. Where is he now?_ "Where?"

"He's resting." At Kurama's confused look, Genkai elaborated. "His energy is a bit low. He stayed up all last night creating the remedy and entered your mind this morning, acting as your support while the antidote cleared the poison from your body."

Yukina scooted back, allowing Kurama to see Hiei lying on a futon next to him. The fire demon was pale and looked utterly worn. His chest and right arm were wrapped in bandages, the rest of him covered in blankets. Kurama's eyes moved back to Genkai. "Heal?" he whispered, questioningly.

She shook her head. "We can't. Until he wakes up, his Jagan will not allow any outside energy to tamper with his body, either reiki or youki. So far, we've only been able to apply salve and bandage his wounds," she explained.

Kurama blinked slowly, his eyes not opening quite as far as they had previously. They were getting harder to keep open, but there was still more he wanted to know. Genkai smiled at his efforts to stay awake. "Sleep now, Kurama. You've lost a lot of energy, as well. Your questions can be answered later."

Although unhappy about it, he knew he couldn't stay awake much longer and Genkai was right in as far as he needed to replenish the energy he'd lost. Sighing softly, Kurama allowed his eyes to fall closed once more, his body relaxing as oblivion claimed him.

. . .

There was a knock on the large doors across from a wooden desk covered with large stacks of papers. Behind the desk sat a toddler dressed in blue, pulling papers off of one stack, stamping them and placing them on another stack. "Enter," he called, talking around the pacifier in his mouth.

The doors opened enough for Botan to slip through. Smiling, she made her way to his desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He looked up. "Ah, there you are. I haven't received a notice of death for the past few hours, so I assume that the problem with Kurama has been taken care of?" he asked.

"Yes, it has. Hiei finished gathering everything last night, and Kurama was given the remedy this morning. With a little rest, they'll both be as good as new in no time!" she said, enthusiastically.

"Well, it's about time. I guess I can throw these away now," he said, picking up a large pile of papers and dumping them in the trash.

Botan looked a little worried. "Um, Koenma-sama, aren't those C.E.Ds-- Certificates of Eminent Death? Don't you need to keep those?"

"Normally, yes, but according to your report, Kurama is still alive."

Botan's eyes widened as she looked at the large stack. "Then, those were all for Kurama?" she asked, a little shocked by the number of close calls he'd had in the past week.

George walked in, interrupting them. "I'm sorry, Koenma-sama, but there's another problem. It seems that one of the souls that was supposed to be picked up last week was, uh, missed," he explained, handing a paper to the toddler.

Koenma took the paper, skimming over it. "Botan, you're dismissed to attend to your duties," he said. The blue-haired girl bowed, exiting the room. "How did this happen, ogre?"

"Well, apparently a C.E.D. was received and a ferry girl was dispatched to pick up the soul. But, when she arrived, she couldn't find the soul or the body," the blue ogre explained.

"Hm. Shimogoe, lower E class, killed by another demon _last Friday?!_ Today is Wednesday, so his soul's been missing for _six days?!_ Why wasn't I informed of this sooner?!" the toddler demanded, his pacifier practically flying out of his mouth as he yelled.

"Uh..."

"Can we even confirm that he has died?" Koenma asked, sitting back in his chair.

"We have people checking it out right now."

Koenma groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "Father is going to kill me..."

. . .

Kurama slept all through the night and late into the morning. As his mind drifted towards consciousness, a soft humming filled his ears. Opening his eyes, he saw Yukina sitting with her back to him, bent over Hiei. She was humming a soft tune as she worked.

"That is a beautiful melody," he commented, interrupting her.

She turned around. "Oh, good morning, Kurama-san!" she greeted him. "It is a lovely song, isn't it? My mother used to sing it to me. So, do you feel like eating anything?"

"Not really," he admitted. She looked at him disapprovingly and Kurama laughed. "However, I don't believe I have much choice in the matter, do I? I will try to eat something if it will make you happy," he responded.

Yukina smiled, pleased. "Let me finish dressing Hiei's arm and I will go make you something."

Kurama propped himself up on his elbows so he could see. The ice maiden was about halfway done wrapping the arm, but the redhead could still see some of the wounds. There were several deep cuts that appeared to have been made by claws or possibly teeth. They were red and inflamed, obviously infected, but Kurama noted that not one of the gashes cut into the tattoo of the black dragon coiled around Hiei's arm.

Kurama's eyes drifted past Hiei's arm, taking in the fire demon's overall appearance. "Has he woken up at all?"

"No," she replied, softly.

"Yukina-san, what happened to Hiei? There are not many creatures that could take him by surprise, and even fewer that could injure him. What happened?" he asked.

Yukina tied off the bandage, shaking her head. "I don't know, Kurama-san. I believe he was in the Makai for five days, searching for the ingredients for your antidote, but I do not know how he came by all these injuries. He had these when he returned and he changed the subject whenever I asked. I'll go make you something to eat, now," she said, standing and leaving the room.

Kurama stared at Hiei's still form, pensively. _What happened to you, Hiei? You know better than to allow your wounds to get infected. Were you really that worried about me?_ Kurama's mind drifted back to what Genkai had told him last night. _Five days. I don't have much of a recollection of the last day, aside from being in pain. Or, perhaps it is the last two days? Three? Although, I do remember sensing you towards the end, Hiei. Did you really act as my support, suffering through the worst of it with me? Why?_ A memory surfaced in Kurama's mind. Suzaku, the leader of the Saint Beasts, had been defeated and Kuwabara was giving Yuusuke some of his own energy to save his life. Hiei didn't understand why humans made such sacrifices. The fire demon's words came back to him. "_Risking my life for someone else...is not something you'll catch **me** doing._" Kurama shook his head. _I remember you speaking those words with such contempt, as if you couldn't stand to be in the same room with someone who would willingly jeopardize their life to help another. And yet, linking my mind to yours when you were severely weakened... Why? You have stood by your beliefs for hundreds of years-- what made you change your mind now?_

Kurama's sensitive nose picked up the aroma of food before Yukina reached the door. The smell interrupted his musings, making him realize just how hungry he actually was. _I suppose abstaining from food for a few days will do that to a person,_ he thought, trying to push himself into a sitting position. His weakened body, however, lacked the strength to obey his command.

Yukina slid open the shoji, balancing a tray on one arm while she closed it behind her. Noticing Kurama struggling to sit up, she crossed the room, setting the tray down and helping the redhead into a sitting position. "Master Genkai's not sure if you'll have any side effects from the remedy, so she thought it better not to give you anything solid just yet," she explained, handing him a bowl of broth and supporting him while he drank it.

Kurama accepted it gratefully, sipping some of the warm liquid. It was delicious. "Thank you, Yukina-san. So, tell me what has happened while I was incapacitated. I seem to recall Yuusuke and Kuwabara being here. Have they returned to their homes?" he asked, drinking the broth.

"Yuusuke-san and Kazuma-san are still here. Master Genkai has them both replacing the wards around the temple," she explained.

"Replacing the wards? Whatever for?"

"Well, Yuusuke-kun got a bit carried away with his Shotgun and destroyed most of them," she replied.

"Shotgu-- oh, yes. The plants were attacking the temple, I believe," Kurama said, pulling pieces of information from the haze of pain that covered his memories of the past few days. "And Botan has returned to Reikai, I take it?"

"Yes. She was only here to help keep you alive until the remedy could be found," she explained.

"I see." Kurama drained the last of the broth from the bowl, setting the empty container aside. The redhead felt like lying down and going back to sleep; but instead he looked up, meeting the ice koorime's eyes. "Yukina-san, tell me. What day is it today?"

"It's Thursday, one week after you were poisoned. Hiei found the demon responsible, but he didn't tell anyone why he was after you. We'll just have to wait until he wakes up," she said, her worried gaze drifting back to the comatose fire demon.

_It appears that Hiei's condition has made Yukina realize she cares for him deeply, although I doubt she understands why. This is bound to make her treat him differently. Interesting. I wonder how Hiei will react to this when he finds out?_ Kurama thought, fighting back a yawn. His drooping eyes sought Yukina's once more. "Don't worry. Hiei will be fine," he said, smiling reassuringly.

"I know he will. He's strong," she said, softly. She shook her head. "I'm supposed to be the one telling you that you will both be all right, not the other way around," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She suddenly noticed the slump of his shoulders and sleepy eyes as Kurama fought to stay awake. "Although, if you want to get better, you need to rest," she chided him gently, pushing down on his shoulders.

Kurama didn't fight against Yukina as she forced him to lie back on the futon. "I've done nothing but sleep for the past few days. You can hardly blame me for wishing to remain awake a while longer," he replied.

Yukina looked at him, frowning slightly, although she couldn't quite hide her smile. Kurama seemed more like himself than he had all week. "You've been sleeping so much because your body is exhausted. Please, Kurama-san, you need to rest. Everyone's worried about you."

Kurama chuckled. "If all else fails, you use guilt. It is an unfair advantage you have over me. Very well, Yukina-san, I yield. I will go back to sleep," he replied, closing his eyes.

It wasn't more than a few seconds before Kurama's body relaxed as sleep claimed him once again. Yukina smiled softly before turning her worried eyes back to the fire demon who had yet to waken. _Please wake up soon, Hiei,_ she thought, pulling the blankets up to his chin. _Please._

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 9**

Blurry eyes opened, squinting up at the ceiling. The ruby orbs wandered around the room, landing on a redheaded figure lying on a futon. Green eyes opened, amusement glinting in their depths as they met the crimson gaze. "Ah, you're finally awake?" Kurama asked, smiling as he echoed the words he'd said to the fire demon during the finals of the Dark Tournament.

Hiei grunted, closing his eyes again. "I see you survived."

"Yes, I am alive and recovering. Thanks in no small part to you, I am told," the redhead replied, rolling onto his side to face the fire koorime.

"Hn. How long was I out?" Hiei asked, closing his eyes.

"You've been unconscious for about two days," Kurama informed him quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Hiei almost laughed at the ridiculous question. He could feel bandages covering him and knew the kitsune could see them, as well. His muscles were stiff and sore, and his entire body ached from the numerous wounds covering it. The infected injuries on his right arm and leg throbbed in unison. "You should know better than to ask," was the curt reply.

"Yukina has been very worried about you."

Hiei remained silent, so Kurama continued. "Your Jagan has prevented either Genkai or Yukina from healing your injuries, which is probably part of the reason why you've been asleep so long. Your body is saving its energy to heal your wounds. I highly doubt you'll be able to remain awake for as long as it would take Yukina or Genkai to heal you, so the best option would be to lower the Jagan's defenses before you go back to sleep."

Hiei's eyes snapped open, locking onto Kurama's. "You are asking me to leave myself vulnerable, especially when I am this weak?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm asking you to trust us. Yuusuke and Kuwabara are here in case a demon decides to attack--" Hiei snorted derisively, at the thought of Kuwabara protecting him, "--as well as Genkai. Besides, your energy will return much faster if it need not be used to heal yourself," Kurama explained.

"Hn." Hiei closed his eyes tiredly. _I hate it when I can't argue with his logic,_ he thought. He knew Kurama was right, but it was difficult to leave himself completely at the mercy of anyone. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the shoji sliding open and someone entering the room.

"Good morning, Yukina-san," Kurama said.

"Good morning, Kurama-san, although it is closer to afternoon, now," she replied.

_Yukina? I think it would be better if I pretended I was still asleep,_ Hiei thought, relaxing his body. _Let's just hope Kurama doesn't say anything._

"Well, regardless of the time, I have good news. Hiei is awake," Kurama said. Hiei could practically hear the smile in his voice.

Immediately, Yukina was at his side. "Hiei-san?" she called softly, as if she were afraid to wake him.

Reluctantly, Hiei opened his eyes. He looked away from the relief that clearly shown in his sister's face.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied, still not making eye contact.

"I was really worried about you," Yukina admitted, her voice lowering.

"You shouldn't concern yourself with me," he replied, cringing at the rudeness in his voice.

Yukina flinched at his tone. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Hiei closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Don't apologize. I'm just...tired," he replied.

/Yukina will continue to worry until you recover/ Kurama informed him telepathically.

Hiei cursed mentally. _Barely off his death bed, and he's as manipulative as ever. Blasted kitsune,_ he thought. Grudgingly, Hiei lowered the Jagan's defenses. He felt vulnerable already. /I hope you're happy, fox/ he said bitingly.

/Of course/ came the blithe reply.

Hiei sighed, exhausted. Although he hadn't been awake for more than a few minutes, it felt as though he hadn't slept in days. Warmth filled his body, soothing him as it dulled the pain. Relaxed, Hiei let his mind wander, falling back into the void as Yukina healed him.

It was a few minutes before Kurama noticed the ice maiden's brow furrow in confusion and worry. "What is it?" he asked.

"I-- I can't heal him. I was able to close the wounds, but..." she trailed off; wide, confused eyes turning towards the redhead. "I can't heal him."

"What?" Kurama propped himself up on his elbows, looking at the unconscious fire demon. _What would cause Hiei's body to reject it? The Jagan is not stopping it, so why...?_ A fragmented memory slipped into his mind from a day or two previous. "Yukina-san, has Hiei been poisoned with the less potent of the two types of hiryuu venom? It would have made him numb," he said, looking at her.

"Yes, he had been poisoned when he returned. He said his left arm and leg were both numb," she explained. "And then we used the venom to numb his hand so we could take it off your wrist the next day."

"I see. That is why you cannot heal him. The hiryuu's venom takes a bit of time to circulate through the body, meaning its prey may be able to escape. This poison not only numbs the body for a certain amount of time, but also makes it difficult for the poisoned creature to heal itself afterwards," Kurama explained. "You said Hiei's left arm and leg were already numb when he arrived. Did any other limb go numb?"

"I think it spread to his right leg, but he couldn't walk at that point anyway, so I'm not sure. I don't think reached his other arm, though," Yukina answered.

Kurama nodded. "It sounds like he got a liberal dose of the poison. He's going to have to heal on his own. Actually, I'm surprised you were able to do as much as you did," he commented.

Yukina nodded absently. Concern was written all over her features as she stared at Hiei. Kurama reached over and took her hand, startling the ice maiden. "He'll be alright, Yukina-san. The hiryuu venom doesn't have any other side effects that I have found and Hiei's body will be able to heal itself within a week. He'll be alright," he repeated, squeezing her hand lightly.

Yukina managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Kurama-san."

. . .

Friday afternoon found Yuusuke and Kuwabara walking down the street away from Genkai's temple. "Man, I am gonna enjoy sleeping in my own bed tonight!" Yuusuke said, stretching his arms above his head.

"I dunno, man. I know Genkai said we could go home, but do you really think we should? I mean, they were both still pretty out of it," Kuwabara said, glancing back the way they had come.

"Oh, come on, man! True, Kurama and Hiei have spent most of the past three days asleep, but they're just recharging their energy! They'll be back to normal in a few days. Besides, grandma's there and all the wards have been replaced. They'll be fine," the black-haired boy replied, waving off his companion's concern. "Although I could have done without the killer plants and one of my friends dying, it was nice to get out of school without Keiko breathing down my neck." Yuusuke stopped, staring as he saw Keiko walk around the corner ahead of them.

"What's wrong, dude?" Kuwabara asked.

"I forgot. I didn't tell Keiko what was going on. Oh, she's gonna be so pissed at me!"

Keiko's expression darkened as her eyes landed on the black-haired teen. "YUUSUKE!!"

"Uh, well, dude, I gotta go. I'll see ya later!" Kuwabara said, taking off in another direction.

Yuusuke stood rooted to the spot as Keiko walked towards him. He put a hand behind his head, grinning. "So, Keiko-- what's up?"

. . .

"Hello, mother. It's me. Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but I've been busy. No, her grandson has not arrived yet, but he should be here in a few days. I know, there have been some problems. Really? No, I wasn't aware of that. Well, tell him thank you for me. Yes. Yes, I should home sometime next week. I'm sorry to have worried you. I love you, too. Goodbye." Kurama turned off his phone, leaning back against the wall. "I had expected my energy to return more quickly than this," he commented.

"Hn."

"I know you don't like being weak any more than I do," Kurama said, looking over at the fire demon.

Hiei sat by the window, his left leg folded underneath him while he watched the sun rise higher into the sky. His right leg was stretched out, white bandages peeking out through the gaping holes in his torn pants. His right arm was also bandaged and he held it close to his body, as if to keep from jarring it. He wore no shirt, the tattered remains of his old one having been tossed out by Genkai a few days previous. A number of wounds were visible on his un-bandaged chest and back. His sheathed sword was lying on the floor next to him. "It's only been four days. You should know that you wouldn't be recovered that quickly, given how close you came to death."

"And what about you?"

Hiei remained silent.

"Why did you do it, Hiei? You had done more than enough by finding the antidote and you and I both know how dangerous it was to enter my mind in your condition," Kurama said, leaning forward slightly. "You said before that risking your life for someone else was not something I would catch you doing. What made you change your mind?"

"Relative freedom. The only reason I'm out on probation is because Koenma thinks you have some measure of control over me. If you die, Koemna's assurance of my 'good behavior' will be gone and I'll be thrown back in Reikai prison. Simple as that."

Kurama's response was cut off by a knock on the shoji. It was slid partially open and Yukina poked her head in. "Kurama-san? Are you feeling up for some visitors?"

The redhead looked a little surprised. "Sure," he replied.

The ice maiden opened the shoji all the way, stepping back to let Keiko and Shizuru walk into the room. Yukina entered after them carrying bandages and salve. Closing the shoji behind her, she walked over and sat down next to Hiei.

"Hey, Kurama-kun," Shizuru greeted.

"How are you feeling?" Keiko asked, walking over and kneeling down next to him.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you," Kurama replied.

"Sorry we didn't come and visit you sooner," Keiko said. "I only found out about what happened from Yuusuke last night."

"Yeah, the guys are still trying to keep us in the dark about what's going on, so I had to teach baby bro a lesson," Shizuru added, making a fist for emphasis.

Kurama could imagine all the new bumps and bruises Kuwabara was probably sporting as a consequence. "It's quite alright, really-- I haven't been in a position to accept visitors until recently," he replied, smiling.

Shizuru looked at him closely, studying his aura. "You really had it bad, didn't you?" she asked softly.

"Hn." _That's an understatement,_ Hiei thought, still looking out the window. He stiffened as Yukina prodded a tender spot on his back.

"I'm sorry," she apologized softly, rubbing the ointment over the wounds. "I had hoped it would have healed more by now. Would you like me to try again?" she asked.

"It won't do any good. You've already healed me as much as you can," Hiei said, his quiet tone softening the harshness of his words.

"But still, I..." Yukina trailed off, bowing her head. _I don't like seeing you hurt._ She shook her head, her hair brushing against Hiei's bare shoulder before she straightened up and began wrapping the bandages around his chest. The fire demon remained silent as she treated him.

Across the room, Shizuru stood. "Well, kiddo, we gotta go or you're going to be late for school."

Keiko looked at her watch. "You're right. Thanks for giving me a ride, by the way."

"No problem. Well, Kurama-kun, we'll see you later," she said, showing herself to the door.

"Yes, I hope you feel better soon!" Keiko added, following Shizuru.

"Thank you," Kurama said, as they disappeared into the hall. He sat there for a few more minutes looking at the door, his expression unreadable, before pushing himself into a standing position. Slowly, he made his way across the room.

"Do you need something, Kurama-san?" Yukina asked.

"No, thank you," he replied, heading towards the door.

"Then, where are you going?"

"I am going to clean myself. I cannot remember exactly when the last time I bathed was, so I am going to do so right now," he said, a little chagrined. "Didn't realize people would be coming to visit..." he muttered, under his breath.

Hiei chuckled as the redhead disappeared through the doorway. _Vain fox._

. . .

Yuusuke and Keiko stopped by to check on Kurama's and Hiei's progress later that day and Kuwabara came as well, although his focus was more on a certain ice maiden. It was late by the time everyone left, leaving the ailing demons alone. As soon as they were gone, Hiei handed the redhead a piece of paper.

"What is this?" the redhead asked curiously.

"A list of things you owe me," Hiei replied, looking out the window.

"Cloak, bandana, pouch, belts x 4-- what do you need four belts for, Hiei?" the kitsune asked, looking at his friend.

"Hn."

Shrugging, Kurama went back to reading the list. "Shirt, pants, boots-- a new katana and sheath?" The fox's eyes wandered to the sheathed sword at Hiei's side. "What is wrong with your katana?"

The fire demon picked up the sword and handed it to Kurama. Curious, the fox took the proffered weapon. _Is it supposed to be this light?_ he wondered, grasping the handle. The sword slid out of the sheath with a metallic scrape. "Oh, I see what you mean," Kurama commented, looking at the broken blade. "How did it happen?"

"It snapped while I was fighting the hiryuu," was the monotonous reply.

"Hm. And the sheath?" Kurama asked, a little eagerness in his voice. _Is he really going to let me replace it?_

"Check the mouth."

The kitsune did so, finding a thin crack running down it, almost reaching a set of teeth marks a little further down on the saya. _I will be glad to get rid of this,_ he thought, sliding the broken sword back inside. "How did it crack?"

"Quaffid threw it and embedded it in a tree."

Kurama straightened up at that. "A quaffid? Those are hard to locate, indeed. Can you tell me where you found it?" he asked, a little childish enthusiasm barely detectable in his voice.

Hiei's mind went back over his encounter with the plant. _Only Kurama would be excited about something like that._ "Southern regions of the Sekiryou Mountains. I'll show you later."

Setting the sword aside, the kitsune looked at the last two items on the paper. _Ah, there it is. I was wondering if sweet snow would make it on the list. And--_ Kurama blinked, looking at the paper closely to make sure he hadn't misread it. _Why would Hiei want...? Actually, I think I know..._ "Hiei, did you happen to talk to Yuusuke while writing this list?" Kurama inquired, glancing at the fire demon.

Hiei turned his head to look at the kitsune. "What makes you ask that?"

"Because a Firebird is not a bird that is immune to flame, it is a brand of motorized vehicle humans use to travel," Kurama explained. The redhead watched Hiei's expression become grim as he realized Yuusuke had played a trick on him. Fearing for the human boy's life, the spirit fox felt compelled to intervene. "If you would like, I can help you seek revenge in a manner that will not cause trouble with Koenma..."

Hiei glanced at his partner, noticing the mischievous look in his eyes and the not-so-innocent smile that played about his lips. "What did you have in mind?"

. . .

"I'm sorry, Hiei."

The soft voice made the fire demon turn his head from the window, looking at his temporary roommate. Soft moonlight spilled into the room, casting Hiei's silhouette on the floor and reflecting in Kurama's eyes as he stared past the koorime at the half moon rising above the treetops. "What?" Hiei asked.

"I was unable to repay my debt to you," Kurama explained, not looking at Hiei. "I'm sorry."

"Baka kitsune," the fire demon replied, his gaze going back at the window. He could practically feel the redhead's confused look on his back, so he elaborated. "You promised me only that you would be alive when I returned. Your debt has been repaid."

Kurama was silent for a moment before chuckling, softly. "I still owe you for retrieving the antidote. Repay one debt only to get another. If I keep this up, I will be indebted to you until the day I die."

"I told you, I only helped you so I would stay out of jail. I did it for my own selfish reasons, so you owe me nothing."

Kurama's eyes widened slightly as he stared at his friend. A soft smile formed on his lips and he bowed his head. "Thank you, Hiei."

"Hn."

. . .

Sunday and Monday came and went without any incidents. Both Kurama and Hiei were steadily regaining their energy and the fire demon's wounds were starting to heal nicely. His progress was such that Tuesday afternoon Kurama decided it was time for him to return home. He stood in the temple courtyard facing Genkai and Yukina, the sun lowering in the sky although it was still several hours before dark.

Kurama bowed formally. "Thank you, master Genkai, for caring for me these past two weeks, and you, too, Yukina-san. I owe you both a debt of gratitude," he said.

"Don't worry about it, Kurama-san. I was happy to help you," Yukina replied. Genkai simply nodded to him.

"I'll come back next week and continue replacing the plants that were destroyed. I need to be going now," he said, straightening. He turned and began walking down the steps.

"Goodbye, Kurama-san!" Yukina called after him.

Genkai turned her head, looking towards the small portion of trees Kurama had replaced. "It seems Hiei's gone, as well," she commented.

"What? Hiei-san's gone?" the ice maiden asked, looking at Genkai.

"Hm." Turning, the old psychic disappeared back into the temple, Yukina following her.

. . .

Hiei watched Kurama as the fox demon got into his car and drove away. As the vehicle disappeared down the road, the fire demon pulled a pink mirror from his pocket, flipping the lid open. It was a few seconds before Botan's head appeared on the screen. "Hiei? What's wrong?" she asked.

"I need to speak with Koenma."

. . .

Kurama laid back, relishing the feel of his own bed beneath him. After leaving Genkai's, he had made a trip to the Makai and spent the afternoon getting the items on Hiei's list. He knew where the fire demon purchased his clothes and had been able to find the sword smith by the signature mark on Hiei's broken katana. He had commissioned a new sword to be made for the fire demon, but it wouldn't be done for three to four months. He had gotten back and stored everything in his room moments before his mother had arrived home from work. She had been pleased to see him when she arrived home and had taken him out to dinner. They had just gotten back and it was late. Kurama, having school in the morning, had retired and was looking forward to a good night's sleep. His mind was starting to drift when he heard a sound similar to that of metal tapping on glass. _Oops,_ Kurama thought, getting out of bed and unlocking and opening the window. Hiei jumped in, landing lightly on the floor.

"I was hoping you would stop by tonight. I have all the items you requested except for the sweet snow and a suitable replacement for your katana. I put the ice cream in the freezer; but my mother is still up, so I will give it to you later. Your new sword won't be finished for several months, but I bought a temporary replacement in the mean time. The same sword smith made it so it should be a high quality blade, even if it isn't made to your exact specifications. Also, I think we can put the plan in action in a day or two-- I haven't had a chance to talk to Keiko-chan, yet," the kitsune said, handing a bundle of clothes to the fire demon.

Hiei accepted the bundle from the kitsune, looking through it. _Everything seems to be here,_ he thought.

Kurama waited while the fire demon riffled through the pile, before speaking up. "I take it there's a reason you've come?" the redhead asked.

Hiei studied him for a few seconds, his eyes bright. "Meet me at the park around nine tomorrow, after dark. I have something to show you," he said.

"Something to show me? What is it?" Kurama asked, intrigued.

"Hn."

Smirking, Hiei disappeared with the bundle, leaving the fox alone with his thoughts. _He wants to show me something in the park? That isn't really like Hiei at all. He usually just tells me about it or brings it to me. And his eyes... He is obvious pleased about whatever it is. I hope it doesn't have anything to do with any ningen. I do not wish to return to Reikai prison..._ Kurama's thoughts trailed off as he yawned. _Ah, well. I suppose I shall find out tomorrow,_ he thought, slipping into bed.

. . .

**To Be Continued**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of importance in this story.

**Chapter 10**

The next night, Kurama was walking through the park, searching for Hiei. He had told his mother he was going to bed early and snuck out the window. Hiei's secret had been bothering him all day, and he was slightly annoyed that he could not find the fire demon. He closed his eyes, searching for the familiar aura.

He smiled as he felt it, turning around. "Hello, Hiei," he greeted the diminutive demon standing behind him. "What is it you would like to show me?"

Hiei's lips twitched upward slightly. Although Kurama's demeanor was calm, the fire demon could tell that he was intensely curious. _He has probably been wondering about it all day,_ Hiei thought, amused. Smirking slightly, the fire demon turned. "Come with me."

Kurama followed Hiei deeper into the park, easily moving through the bushes as the fire demon led him off the beaten path. It wasn't long before they came to a portal. Hiei started to enter, but Kurama grabbed his arm. "Hiei, your probation--" he began.

The fire demon pulled his arm out of Kurama's grasp. "I have permission," he said, disappearing through the portal. A little surprised at this news, the kitsune followed him.

Once they were both through, Hiei took off running, making sure Kurama could match his pace. They ran for a few minutes, the redhead having a pretty good idea of where they were headed. Hiei reduced his speed as he neared one of Kurama's lairs.

Slowing to a walk, the two moved between the plants guarding the den. The flora brushed against Kurama as he strode past them, as if welcoming him back. "Hiei, why are we here?" he asked.

"I picked up something two weeks ago and stored it here for the time being. Oh, you also need to clean the den you have near the northern part of the Kinmotsu Marshes. I left a bit of a mess when I was there," he explained, nonchalantly.

"While I do not mind you using my lairs from time to time, I do expect you to clean up after yourself, Hiei," Kurama reprimanded him. He was not going to become the fire demon's maid, especially not in his own den.

"Time was of the essence."

Kurama entered his lair, reeling back as the stench of bodily waste assaulted his sensitive nose. "Do I want to know what you've kept in there?" he asked.

Hiei strode past him, not saying anything. Shaking his head slightly, Kurama followed.

The kitsune stood in the room, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. In the center of the room there was a demon lying on the floor. Around him were symbols that appeared to have been drawn on the floor, forming a large circle around him. Several containers were on the floor next to him holding either food or water, perhaps both, as well as the broken remains of empty bottles near the circle of symbols. The demon sat up, glaring at Kurama as he grabbed a bottle and threw it at the kitsune.

Kurama ducked instinctively, but the bottle shattered as it hit a barrier, the broken pieces falling down to rest near the now glowing symbols. The redhead looked at the demon curiously.

"So, you've come back, have you, Kurata? You always were a slippery little vixen. You even managed to survive my poison," he said, his hatred apparent in his shaking voice. The fear in his eyes was visible as his gaze slid over to Hiei.

Kurama blinked, taken aback. His gaze narrowed as the information sank into his mind. "Kurata? You think that I am that weak little kitsune? A _vixen_?!" he hissed, a hard edge in his quiet voice.

"Do you know who this 'Kurata' person is?" Hiei asked quietly.

"Yes. She was a low level red kitsune, an assassin and a bad one at that. She made the mistake of crossing me approximately seventy-five years ago and I put her out of her misery," Kurama growled out between clenched teeth. His hand was clenching and unclenching at his side, as if longing for the feel of a familiar weapon.

Hiei's Jagan glowed, the symbols on the floor flaring in response before fading completely, freeing the demon from his prison.

Kurama closed his eyes, struggling to calm himself. _It is all because of him..._ He thought back over the past two weeks, remembering acutely the constant torture he'd been forced to endure, the anguish enough to make him wish for death. Kurama clenched his shaking fists, trying hard to control his fury. _He is the one who did this to me and he doesn't even know WHO I AM!!_ His eyes snapped open, the cold amber gaze practically glowing with rage. Red hair lengthened and changed to silver as his nails turned to claws. His school uniform was replaced by a flowing white tunic, his tail swishing almost violently behind him.

The demon's eyes widened in recognition as the youko took a step towards him. "No... Youko... Kurama..." he whispered, his breath coming in short gasps as his fear consumed him.

"I'm so pleased you've heard of me," the silver kitsune said, looking down on his victim. "Your offense in angering me is a serious one. I'll show you true pain. You shall wish for death, but it will not come. I will make you suffer even as I have suffered!" he said, his voice low. The venom in his tone made Hiei flinch, taking an involuntary step back, as the youko pulled a seed from his hair. "The longest I have been able to keep my victim alive before I grew tired of torturing him is six months. Shall we try to break that record?" he asked, advancing toward the demon cowering on the floor in front of him.

Several small birds flew from the surrounding trees as screams echoed through the night.

. . .

"Come on, Yuusuke!" Keiko said, pulling his arm. "If we don't hurry, we won't have time to eat before the movie starts!"

"I'm comin'," he said, not bothering to speed up his pace.

They entered a restaurant, stopping in front of a girl sitting at a desk. She wrote something on the paper before looking up at them. "Party of two?"

"Yeah," Yuusuke said.

"Right this way, please," she said, grabbing two menus off the shelf behind her as she walked around the table and led them into the restaurant. "Would you prefer a table or a booth?"

"Booth," Keiko answered.

The girl stopped at a booth, waiting until Yuusuke and Keiko had sat down before handing them their menus and laying out two sets of silverware. "Your server should be here soon," she said, walking back to the front doors.

Never having come here before, Yuusuke picked up his menu, searching for something good to eat. He was about halfway through it when a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"May I bring you something to drink?"

"Kurama?! What are you doin' here?!" Yuusuke asked.

The redhead smiled. He was holding a pen and pad of paper in his hand and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. There was an apron tied around his waist with several pens and an extra pad sticking out of the pockets. "I work here, Yuusuke," he replied.

Yuusuke blinked. "Oh." He paused, considering something. "Hey, students can't have a job unless they get special permission," he pointed out.

"Yes, that is true. However, I would appreciate it if you would keep your voice down. I had to create some false identification papers to get hired. This is actually my first day on the job," he explained, his voice low.

"Oh, I see. But, why do you have a job in the first place?" Yuusuke asked curiously.

Kurama lowered his eyes, staring at the floor. "Well, it's actually because of Hiei," he said.

"What?"

"Hiei wrote out a list of things for me to buy him. Unfortunately, he asked for a Firebird, among other things, and that cost more than I had. I used all of my college funds to purchase it and I'll still be making payments on it for some time. Mother, of course, doesn't know what I've done, and I hope I can replace the money I spent before she finds out, but..." Kurama trailed off, not looking at Yuusuke. "Unless something drastic happens, I may have to put off going to college for a few years. Mother is going to be so disappointed when she finds out," he said, softly. He shook his head. "At any rate, this means that I won't be able to help with most of the missions, as I'll be working."

"But, why'd you buy him a Firebird? I mean, why didn't you just say no?" Yuusuke asked, alarmed at how far his joke had gone.

The redhead sighed. "By traveling through Makai to find the antidote for me, Hiei saved my life. When one demon saves or spares the life of another, there is an unspoken law that the demon whose life was saved must work to pay off his debt to the one who saved him. It is usually done through servitude, but that is ultimately decided by the one to whom the debt is owed. In my case, Hiei made a list of things I must buy him," Kurama explained.

"But, don't you have a treasury or something? You know, from your days as Youko?" Yuusuke asked. He'd never imagined Hiei's wish list had been so important.

Kurama chuckled softly. "You make me sound like a dragon in a fairytale, hoarding all my treasure in a dark cave somewhere. The truth is, Yuusuke, I never kept any of the artifacts I stole. I sold them shortly after stealing them and the money never lasted very long," the kitsune explained. Yuusuke nodded, chewing his bottom lip and looking very nervous. _I am surprised he believed me. Does he honestly think I would sell anything I put that much effort into stealing? Really, Yuusuke, I thought you knew me better than that,_ Kurama thought, being careful not to let any of his thoughts show on his face. A quick glance at Keiko showed that she was doing a wonderful job at keeping her face expressionless. _I am pleased she decided to help. It would have been rather difficult arranging this, otherwise._

Yuusuke looked back at Kurama. "Well, what about stealing?" he asked, having enough sense to keep his voice low. Normally, he wouldn't suggest it, but he knew how much it would hurt Kurama to have his mother disappointed in him like that. If she ever found out...

The kitsune shook his head. "Koenma has been keeping a close eye on me since I joined the Reikai-tantai. I would be thrown back in prison before I was halfway through the heist."

Yuusuke was silent for a moment before looking back at the redhead. "Do you know where Hiei is?"

"Yes, he's staying at Genkai's temple for a few days." Kurama paused, knowing what Yuusuke was going to do. _One more thing and then I'll let him go._ "Yuusuke, Hiei asked for a Firebird and I am bound to give him one. It's not your problem. Although, I cannot figure out why Hiei would want a ningen car..."

"Look, man, I'm sorry," Yuusuke said, not making eye contact.

The kitsune gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Why should you be sorry, Yuusuke? It's not your fault..." Kurama let the sentence hang, fighting the urge to laugh.

This, of course, made the detective feel even worse than before. Without a word, he ran out of the restaurant, intent on finding Hiei and getting the car back.

"Yuusuke!" Keiko yelled, running after him. She stopped at the door, making sure he was out of sight before looking back at Kurama and giving him a thumbs-up. Then she calmly exited the restaurant, walking down the street towards her house.

Having accomplished his task, the redhead took off his apron and walked over to a girl sitting across the room. "Thank you for letting me borrow your uniform, Hatsue-chan," he said, handing her the apron.

"Oh, no problem, Suuichi-kun," she replied, blushing.

"I hope I didn't get you in trouble?" Kurama asked, pulling the hair tie out of his hair and running his fingers through it, shaking it out.

"N-no, not at all," Hatsue replied.

The redhead smiled at her and left the restaurant. _I suppose even fangirls are useful, once in a while,_ he thought, getting into his car. If he hurried, he could get to the temple before Yuusuke did.

. . .

Hiei sat in a tree outside of the temple, waiting. His eyes were closed; although the warded bandana had been removed, allowing his Jagan to keep track of what was going on around him. There was a faint rustle in the brush a little ways away.

/Hiei, Yuusuke is on his way over here. Just remember what I told you./

Hiei opened one eye, looking down on the silver fox hiding in the bushes below. "Hn."

The two demons didn't have to wait long before they felt Yuusuke's aura nearing them. Kurama pressed himself against the forest floor, suppressing his energy so the detective wouldn't realize he was there. Hiei didn't move from his spot, or hide his aura.

Yuusuke spotted the fire demon relaxing in the tree and made his way over to him. "Hiei, you've gotta give the car back," he said, stopping underneath the tree the fire demon was occupying.

Hiei opened one eye, acknowledging Yuusuke's presence, before letting it fall shut again. "Hn."

"I mean it, Hiei! What do you want with a human car, anyway? You can't drive," he pointed out.

"Hn. Shows what you know."

"Seriously, Hiei, why do you want a car? I mean, it's much slower than you are, you can never find parking anywhere, you have to abide by stupid human laws on driving..." Yuusuke said, trying to convince the fire demon why he should give the car back. The detective got a mental image of people being run over on the sidewalk, a manically laughing Hiei behind the wheel. _Not only did I ruin Kurama's human life, but Koenma's gonna kill me, too._ "Please, Hiei, you gotta give it back."

"I can't."

"What? Whaddya mean, you can't?" Yuusuke asked.

"The old hag crashed it while out on what the baka called a 'joy ride,'" Hiei said, his tone bored.

Yuusuke's eyes widened. "You can't be serious..." he trailed off, taking off running towards the temple.

Kurama stepped out of the bushes, jumping up to sit across from Hiei on the branch, his tails hanging down behind him. /That went rather well/ he said, humor evident in his voice.

Hiei opened his eyes, his lips turning upward into a smirk as he replaced the bandana over his Jagan. "The detective is unbelievably gullible. I wouldn't even expect the baka to believe that ludicrous story," he replied, although he found it just as funny. "Demons being honorable enough to pay off a life debt, indeed. That's almost as laughable as expecting the ningen to do it."

/So, how long do you think before he checks your story against Gen--/ Kurama's question broke off into a yip as someone grabbed one of his tails and pulled on it. He was yanked off the branch, claws scrabbling for a hold, before finding himself held upside down face to face with an angry Yuusuke. The kitsune grinned at the irate teen.

"So, you think you're pretty funny, don'tcha?!" he demanded, shaking the fox. If anything, Kurama seemed more amused by Yuusuke's anger.

Without warning, Kurama lunged forward, nipping playfully at, if not coming dangerously close to, Yuusuke's face. Startled, the detective dropped the silver fox. Kurama twisted his body, landing on his feet, and darted out of reach before Yuusuke could recover. He stopped a little ways away and faced the black-haired teen, crouching on his front legs as he watched the detective, his tails swishing through the air behind him. He growled teasingly, seeming to be daring Yuusuke to try and catch him.

The detective rose to the challenge, his previous anger fading and a slight smile touching his lips as the fox mocked him. "Oh, that's it. C'mere, ya little rodent!" he yelled, lunging at Kurama. The fox easily evaded, running through the brush with Yuusuke hot on his tails.

The silver fox darted through the bushes and in and out of trees, running fast enough to only just stay out of the ningen's reach. They ran for a few minutes, Yuusuke continually calling out threats, until Kurama was once again grabbed by the tail and hoisted up into the air. This time, he found himself face to face with Hiei. He stared at the fire demon for a few seconds before his jaw opened in a canine grin, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he panted. /Were you feeling left out?/ he asked teasingly.

"Hn. I think that's enough nonsense for now. Some of us have better ways to spend our time than to listen to you two. I was trying to take a nap before you came," he said, dropping Kurama back on the ground.

"Aw, Hiei, you're no fun," Yuusuke said, plopping down on the ground.

Kurama shifted back into his human form. "As you wish, Hiei. I did not realize we were disturbing you," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Hn." Hiei turned away, recognizing the look in the redhead's eye and not wanting to be pulled into any of his games.

Chuckling, Kurama glanced at his wrist, checking the time. "Oh, I had better get going. I promised the little demon we'd continue his..._treatment_ this afternoon," he said, turning to go.

"The little demon?" Yuusuke asked curiously.

"Yes, he's the one that informed Hiei about the antidote," Kurama explained.

"Told Hiei about the antidote? Then that means--" Yuusuke started, his eyes widening a little bit.

"He's also the one that poisoned me a few weeks ago. Hiei was kind enough to spare his life until I was feeling better. By the way, Hiei, are you sure you don't want to come?" Kurama asked, looking at the fire demon.

"Hn." Hiei turned away, not making eye contact with the kitsune. Shrugging his shoulders, Kurama left.

Yuusuke stared after the fox. _Hiei found that demon only a day or two after Kurama was poisoned. Why didn't he kill him? Well, obviously, he was saving him for fox-boy to deal with, but... What was that 'treatment' he mentioned? Kurama had it pretty bad. What would he do to the demon that was responsible?_ he wondered. His gaze shifted to the fire demon, noticing the distinctly green tinge the koorime's face had taken after the kitsune's invitation. Yuusuke shuddered. _Hiei once told me that, if you threaten him, Kurama gets vicious in ways that even he doesn't like to think about. If this treatment is bad enough to make Hiei queasy, I really don't think I want to know what it is..._ he decided.

Yuusuke shook his head, clearing all gruesome thoughts from his mind. He blanched, remembering having left Keiko at the restaurant before they even started their date. _Oops. Keiko's gonna be so mad at me. Oh, well._ "So, Hiei, I've got some free time-- wanna spar?"

. . .

**The End**


End file.
